


Broken Chains

by Loopstagirl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Sexual Slavery, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:57:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 124,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3485687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopstagirl/pseuds/Loopstagirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collared and chained, the life Merlin knew is over. He refused to be gifted to the Crown Prince of Camelot and would fight with everything he had. But Arthur wasn't the one he needed to fear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.
> 
> Time for another long one. This gets dark and violent in places, so warning you now.

Uther smirked as he heard the sound of commotion in the corridor beyond. He knew the guards would wait until the right time, it had all been arranged. Seizing a fistful of hair, he yanked Nimueh’s head back, staring down at the sorceress kneeling in front of him.

He hadn’t just chosen her because she was the most powerful. She was also beautiful and defiant. For years she had been bound to him now, her magic forced into submission by the iron collar etched with runes fastened around her neck. The shackles that glittered at her ankles were more like jewels; Uther had had them specially designed to reflect her beauty rather than the thick, heavy ones that bound most sorcerers. They too were designed to keep a sorcerer at bay, but they were more than that.

Once they had been secured, the victim could only go where the master pleased. To start with, Uther had used them to keep her trapped in his rooms, not trusting her. He still didn’t trust her, but their mutual hatred had turned into something fiery and fierce. It made fucking her all the more worth-while and Uther knew she had spent so long as his prisoner and whore she had accepted it. She was loyal to him in her own twisted way, and that had meant he had given her more freedom.

Of course, the shackles forced the person back to their master when they were wanted. So if he returned from a long council meeting and she wasn’t there, he only had to think about it and she would be forced to his side. He always took out his frustration on her when she wasn’t waiting for him on those days and she often left him scratch marks in return.

But today wasn’t about Nimueh. There would be no denying the pleasure he would receive from it as he looked down on her, the expression on his face ordering her to open her mouth. She knew better than to fight and he thrust into the heat with a moan. He had to keep himself in control today though, he had to show he was serious. The grip on her hair tightened, wrenching her head back further and exposing the pale column of her throat. The collar was obvious against her skin and Uther smirked even as he thrust harder.

Then there was a knock on the door.

The king grinned; the timing was perfect. He knew how to break new sorcerers, he could do it better than anyone else in the land. How else would he have a high priestess choking around him without fighting back otherwise? And he knew first impressions went further than any words or threats.

“Enter,” he called, his voice slightly hoarse as he thrust again. He looked into Nimueh’s eyes, seeing them widen in understanding. She stopped sucking, her tongue ceasing its movements and Uther growled, yanking on her hair until tears of pain came to her eyes and she obediently went back to her task. He had this set up perfectly, he was not going to let his whore ruin it.

The guards entered. Three of them had a struggling youth pinned between them. Even though the boy was collared, Uther admired his spirit with how hard he was fighting, kicking out with every step and forcing them to literally drag him in order to get him into the room. He was around Arthur’s age, Uther decided in a glance, maybe a little younger. The iron collar stood out in sharp contrast against his ivory skin and defiant eyes glared from their framing of thick, black hair. Instantly, Uther’s mind thought about how it would feel having his hands running through it and his cock pulsed. Nimueh gagged.

The guards ignored their king’s position though, wrestling the youth into the corner. Once they had him on the ground, they made short work of pinning his arms behind him and shackling them there. They chained his feet too. Ordinary cuffs rather than the enchanted ones though; Uther was not to be the boy’s master. The cuffs had to be put on by the one who would own them. The men began threading a chain through the handcuffs and down to the feet, forcing the boy into a twisted, curled position that he had no chance of moving from. The boy had stopped struggling though, he had caught sight of the scene in front of him and his eyes had gone wide in horror.

By the time he realised what was happening, the men had him secured. They backed away, bowed to their king and left. The boy growled, a low primitive sound and for a split-second, Uther thought his eyes flashed gold. But then a high scream escaped him as his magic rebounded, caught by the collar and forced back into his body. Uther had forced Nimueh to describe it to him; the feeling of every nerve feeling as if it was on fire. The more powerful the sorcerer, the harsher the sting. The boy was panting, tears streaming from his eyes as he curled up tighter with a whimper. Uther smiled. This boy was strong.

He was perfect.

The thought caused him to spill with a roar. Nimueh didn’t even flinch; she was well practised at swallowing him down. He pulled out before she could clean him – the way he usually demanded – and wrenched her around. The boy’s eyes were horrified as he saw she too was collared. He knew she was a witch; he had just learnt of his fate.

“How powerful?” Uther growled. Nimueh looked at him.

“Please…”

“How powerful?” he demanded, throwing her towards the boy. Knowing she had no choice, Nimueh stretched out a hand and gently touched the collar on the boy’s neck.

“What’s your name?” She murmured gently, her voice kind.

“Merlin,” he whispered, his own trembling. Uther knew she would smile gently at him, just before both jolted with a shock. Nimueh pulled back, looking at her master with eyes wide.

“The strongest I’ve ever felt,” she whispered, her voice filled with both fear and awe. Uther sighed. He wished now he didn’t already have plans for the boy. A defiant youth with all that power would be a refreshing change; a chance to prove his worth as he broke the boy down and had him as obedient as Nimueh.

“Good. You should be honoured, boy. You are to be gifted to the Crown Prince of Camelot, my son. There is no greater honour than to serve royalty.”

“I’ll never serve you,” the boy spat. Uther looked at him coldy, walking closer. Inside, however, he smirked. He loved them defiant, although he had to wonder if Arthur was up to the challenge of breaking him. The prince had always been reserved in expressing how he felt about his father’s pets. But Uther saw the flicker of fear in his eyes when he stood over him, still hanging free. His member was swelling again and he saw the boy try to squirm back.

“You will do as you are told or the consequences will be severe.”

“Go to hell,” the boy was struggling as hard as he could against his chains. But there was a reason his hands and feet were joined; he didn’t have enough movement to even roll back a few paces. Still, he was trying and that was enough for Uther to step forward, letting his foot rest against the boy’s throat. He exerted pressure, just enough to force him to still and concentrate on his breathing in order for enough air to reach him.

“You will learn respect or I will beat it into you,” Uther said calmly. The boy was just that – still a boy; a child. No doubt the threat of a thrashing would be enough to still him. Uther bit his lip, his body betraying his interest in taking the insolent boy over his lap and spanking him. Merlin had stilled, staring up at him. Fear was slowly becoming more dominant in his eyes and Uther released him. He crouched down, running a thumb over the pouty lips. The boy snapped at him and Uther swiftly delivered him a backhanded slap that sent him slumping to one side.

He held out his hand to one side. Nimueh knew what he wanted, although her own hand was trembling as she pressed the gag into his hand. Uther fisted his fingers through Merlin’s hair, forcing his head upright while he used his free hand to press the wad of material into his mouth. The pressure pinned his tongue down; uncomfortable and sore. But satisfied it was in place, Uther wound another strip of material around his head, keeping the ball in place and silencing him.

“You’re lucky; my son’s blows are not as powerful as mine. But rest assured, you show him any disrespect and he will have you whipped.”

Merlin looked as if he couldn’t decide whether to glare or tremble. Uther chuckled, reaching up and uncurling another chain from the wall. Nimueh flinched at his side; she was often clipped to this chain when Uther wanted something more than just his bed. He attached it to the boy’s collar and stepped back. Silenced, shackled and secured. The boy was going nowhere. It was a perfect sight.

Uther stepped back and began stroking himself, forcing his eyes to stay open as he watched Merlin. What would it feel like to be inside the boy? No doubt his first. That would show ownership more than the collars; and remind Arthur that everything he had was only by the grace of his father. But Uther knew he couldn’t; he had told himself that he was going to gift Arthur with a sorcerer for his birthday, and it was hardly fair to have unwrapped the gift before giving it to him.

But the images in his head meant he needed something more than his hand. He whirled around, seizing Nimueh by the wrist and dragging her across the room. Her dress was torn off in one movement as her back hit his desk. His hands eagerly groped her, his fingers digging into her breasts as he forced her legs apart. He never prepared her; he never needed to as he shoved into her. She was forced to cling onto the edge of the table as her master rocked her hard, thrusting almost frantically. Even though his hands continued bruising her body and his lips drew blood as he bit down just above her collar, his eyes didn’t leave the boy.

Nimueh had been so well trained as his whore that she too received pleasure from his roughness. As her breathy moans began to rise, Uther rested his palms flat on the table and set up a fierce rhythm. The boy had his eyes shut, his head twisted the other way. But Uther could see how hard he was trembling even from across the room; he was definitely still a virgin. What would it be like to have him bent over the desk? He would fight, no doubt, and that would just make it even more perfect.

Uther came silently this time, pulsing hard as he spilled, his lips curled into a snarl. He pulled out, cleaned up and dressed, ordering Nimueh to stay naked. As long as the boy was in his chambers, Uther had a feeling he would never be satisfied and he didn’t want to have to battle with clothing every time he wanted his whore.

Still, it was only two days until Arthur’s birthday. They would keep the boy contained here and hopefully he would lose some of his stubbornness. After that, it was up to the prince to keep him in line.

Uther comforted himself with the thought that if Arthur wasn’t up to the challenge, he would just have to be a dutiful father and show him how it was done.

MMM

Merlin woke from a light slumber when he realised there was someone standing over him. He jolted, glancing up in fear. It was only a guard, although that didn’t mean anything positive for the restrained warlock. But although the King had never done anything more than slap him a few times over the last couple of days, his behaviour towards Nimueh had begun to embed a deep fear in Merlin. He had felt how powerful she was when she had touched him, and yet she could do nothing to stop Uther from raping her day after day. She was his slave, his whore, and Merlin had a feeling his fate was going to be no better.

He shied back from the guard, but couldn’t move far. His limbs were screaming for release. Having spent two days with his wrists shackled to his ankles, he would do anything to stretch out. Nimueh gave him a little food and water each day under Uther’s close watch before the king forced the tight and painful gag back into his mouth. Merlin couldn’t say anything even if he wanted to; the feeling of his magic being suppressed made him feel like he was going to vomit every time the gag was removed. It was only his need to survive that had made him swallow the food.

He was going to get out of here. Someone had to know the secret to the collars. Seeing how obedient Nimueh was didn’t fill him with encouragement; if she was firmly under control what chance did he have? But he was determined he was going to get out of here and for that he needed his strength. Not to mention when Uther saw him obediently take the food, his following blows were never as strong. It seemed being submissive was his key to survival.

Not that Merlin was going to keep it up. From what the king had said, his son wasn’t nearly as firm. Merlin would be able to find a way to escape the arrogant prince, of that he had no doubt.

But for now, he could only watch with wide eyes as the guard reached towards his chains. He unlocked the chain binding his wrists to his feet and then unclipped his collar from the wall. Gently – almost apologetically – he teased out the gag, took hold of Merlin’s upper arm and pulled him to his feet. The warlock cried out, cramp shooting through his legs as they buckled. It was only the guard’s grip that stopped him from collapsing.

“Come with me,” the man murmured, pulling him from the room. Merlin hobbled along the best he could – anything to get out of Uther’s chambers. Nimueh had just watched silently from where she was sprawled on the bed. No doubt she had been expecting someone to come for him, for otherwise Merlin was sure she would have raised the alarm. He felt dizzy and sick, and the pain each stepped caused made him wonder whether he would be allowed the escape of passing out. He had come close to it the first night; the shock of what had happened beginning to catch up with him. But Uther had made short work of throwing an icy bucket of water over him and jerking him back to alertness Merlin hadn’t dared faint since.

He tried to take note of where he was being taken, but the effort proved to be too great. All he could do was focus on placing one foot in front of the other so he wasn’t literally dragged. It was evening, the castle relatively empty apart from a few passing serving staff. They all avoided their gazes when they saw Merlin’s collar and he knew he would receive no help from them. It wasn’t anything they had against him, it was just that it wasn’t worth them taking the risk.

He almost stumbled when the guard opened a door and stopped. He let go and backed away without a word, leaving Merlin swaying on the spot.

“Well? Don’t just stand there, boy. Come in, let me look at you.”

Merlin forced himself to glance up, only to see an aged man standing in front of him, impatience etched into his face. Merlin tried to take a step forward, but his legs had decided they had had enough and he simply began to fall. He hadn’t even realised there was a stool near him until it was shoved behind his knees and a hand on his shoulder guided him down to it. The hand kept exerting pressure until Merlin had his head between his knees.

“Take a few deep breaths. That’s it. Now sit up…Slowly, boy, slowly! Here, drink this.” A cup was pressed into his hand. Merlin thought he should be suspicious, but one timid sip revealed it was nothing more than water and he drank eagerly.

“Who are you?” He managed to ask, the water helping to clear his head slightly. He looked up, properly studying the old man and the room this time. Books and parchment seemed to litter every surface.

“No one of consequence, but my name is Gaius. When was the last time you ate?”

Merlin could only stare at him, blinking stupidly. The old man tutted, reaching over the table and pulling a steaming bowl towards them.

“I’m supposed to be getting you cleaned up for the prince, but I doubt neither the king nor Arthur would thank me if you passed out through hunger before they even began.”

“Began what?”

“Eat your stew, boy, and learn not to ask questions.” The rebuke wasn’t harsh and Merlin was too hungry to think anything more of it. He forced himself to go slow, savouring every mouthful. He knew speed would only make him sick and there would be no telling when he was next going to be allowed a hot meal. It certainly wasn’t the best stew he had tasted, but the road to Camelot had been tough and his imprisonment so far had been terrified. It felt like the best thing he had ever tasted.

But all too soon he was finished. Gaius had the bowl whisked away and Merlin standing before he truly realised what the old man had said before. When hands began tugging at his clothes, Merlin recoiled.

“What are you doing?”

“You can hardly bathe with them on. Come on, strip.” Merlin couldn’t resist. Gaius might have been old, but he had a stubborn determination about him that meant he was persistent. Merlin wasn’t sure whether he helped or not, but before he knew it, his clothes had been removed and he was sinking into a warm bath. He groaned at the sensation and saw Gaius smile out of the corner of his eye.

“They never told me how I was supposed to clean you up,” the man murmured gently. He pulled a stool closer and began helping Merlin wash. When he insisted that he knelt up so he could examine more private areas, Merlin sank deeper into the water, shaking his head. Gaius looked sympathetic.

“It will be better for you, lad. Much better if you let me help now. Trust me.”

“No. No, you can’t,” Merlin whimpered, but Gaius’s hands were already on him. He cried out, tears of humiliation trickling down his face as he was examined. He couldn’t look the old man in the eye, even when Gaius helped him sink back under the water and disappeared to give him some privacy.

Merlin thought about just slipping down and letting the water close above his head. To let it all end and so deny the king his prize. But his body froze. He was still convinced he would find a way to escape, he couldn’t give up that easily. For his mother’s sake, he would continue to fight until he could get back to her.

“Out you get,” Gaius’s voice was kind and Merlin obeyed. The water was cooling anyway and the towel felt warm where it had been hanging over the fire. He dried and looked around for his clothes. They were gone; a long loose shirt being the only thing there. He donned it before looking around for more.

“Gaius?”

The man’s face was grave. It was as if some signal had been given because before he could say anything, the door burst up and three guards stalked in, the king following behind. Merlin tried to scramble backwards, but two of the guards took hold of his arms before he had gone so much as a step and held him fast. Uther strode up, first of all taking hold of his chin and tilting his head to the light. Merlin refused to look at him. Then he refused to react when the king’s hand slipped straight under the thigh-length shirt and took hold of him.

“Untouched you say, Gaius?”

“An innocent, Sire,” Gaius murmured apologetically. Uther squeezed hard for a moment, forcing Merlin to bite his lip in order to not react. But then he pulled away.

“Good. It’s time. Bring him.”

“Gaius? Gaius, what’s happening?” Merlin called, fighting to stay with the old man. He wasn’t sure if he was just a trick of the light of whether Gaius truly did have tears in his eyes as Merlin was yanked out of the room. The guards’ grip wasn’t gentle as they forced him along corridors in the flickering torchlight, following the king.

They stopped in front of a heavy oak door. Uther knocked lightly, then smirked in satisfaction when there was no answer and opened the door. Merlin gaped at the splendour of the room; it was almost as impressive as the king’s. But then his brain caught up with him and he began to struggle, realising this room must belong to the prince. He was being gifted right here and now.

The guards snarled angrily as Merlin fought back, but the third joining in meant Merlin didn’t stand a chance as they dragged him across the room and forced his arms above his head. The cuffs were clipped to a chain dangling from the ceiling, forcing his arms to stay suspended in the air. It made the shirt rise up a little and Merlin knew by the predatory gleam in Uther’s eyes it was only just covering him. But once he was secure, the guards bowed and left.

Merlin refused to give Uther the satisfaction of showing his fear. He clenched his hands into fists and stared at the opposite wall, forcing himself to stay calm. He could handle this. He would make them think they were in control, then he would make his escape once they had let their guard down. That was all there was too it.

Footsteps approaching, however, drew his mind from his planning. The door opened and young man entered. Merlin stared. He was young, tanned and well-toned, the firelight glinting of golden hair. This was not what Merlin had thought the prince would look like. Quick eyes took in the sight.

“Father? What is this?” His voice was pleasant despite his confusion.

“This is your birthday gift, Arthur,” Uther stepped up to Merlin, flicking the shirt up with one finger, exposing him even while his other hand stroked the collar around his neck. Merlin scowled at the opposite wall.

“I thought you deserved him now so you can start your birthday celebrations first thing in the morning by using him. I have the chains ready for you to shackle him with, making him yours.”

Merlin risked a glance at the prince. He wasn’t sure what he expected. But he did not think that it would be shock, pity and something that resembled horror shoot over the man’s face. Merlin frowned, trying to tilt his head to get a better look without Uther realising he was intrigued. But then the prince spoke again and Merlin knew everything had just become far more dangerous for him.

“No. I don’t want a gift like that, Father.”


	2. Chapter 2

“What did you just say to me, Arthur?”

Merlin held his breath, trying to make himself as small as possible. Of course, it got him nowhere; he was subjected to the attention of both men in the room and couldn’t even curl in on himself due to the way he was chained. Merlin forced his mind to go blank as he stared at the wall, determined to distance himself from what was happening.

“I don’t…”

“Are you rejecting my gift?”

“I-,” The prince wasn’t given a chance to actually respond though, for the king was already talking over him.

“I scour the land for the most powerful and the most beautiful and you throw it back in my face?”

“Father, that’s not it!”

“Well, now what do you suppose I do with him? Only royalty can handle someone of his power, Arthur. Are you suggesting that I favour one of the lords with a slave that was fit for a king?”

Merlin bit his lip, forcing himself to stay calm when he heard himself being addressed as a slave. It was taking every ounce of self-control not to kick out backwards, to fight back against the king. He knew it would get him nowhere though and he wanted to stay conscious while his fate was being decided. Uther’s blows were harsh enough when they were in the privacy of his chambers, but he knew the king wouldn’t hold back if he was humiliated in front of his own son.

The prince stayed quiet this time, watching with a guarded expression. Merlin ignored him. He was no doubt just as bad as his father. Instead, the warlock glanced around the room, trying to find out if there was anything he would be able to use as a weapon should he be released from the chains. He was going to prove once and for all he would not be made to submit.

“I have the chains of bonding here with me. I suppose I could take him for myself. It would be a hardship because the boy needs to be trained, but there is no one else I can trust…”

Merlin felt any colour slip from his face. Uther stepped in closer, pressing himself to Merlin’s back – although he wasn’t entirely sure whether the prince could see that or not. But Merlin could feel it. He could feel the way the king’s erection was growing as he thought about taking Merlin for his own. Merlin shut his eyes, despair and sheer terror running through him. He had seen how rough Uther was with his own sorcerer; Merlin knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against that. He would be torn open, used, abused and cast to one side when he was a broken wreck. He could feel himself shaking in the chains. Up until now, he had managed to remain defiant because he believed his chance of escape rested with being handed over.

Now that chance was slipping away from him. He could hear the rattle of another set of chains and knew the second Uther clamped them around him, he would be as good as dead. A hand squeezed him, hard and painful and Merlin cried out, his head hanging. Uther throbbed behind him.

“Those cries will be screams before the night is out,” the man breathed, before letting go and stepping back. He moved around Merlin, coming into sight and Merlin couldn’t stop himself from fighting as hard as he could against his restraints when he saw the enchanted chains in the king’s hand. The man stepped closer, opening the manacles.

“Stop,” a voice commanded. Merlin jumped; he had forgotten the prince was present. Uther’s face fell slightly but Merlin was sure by the time he looked around at his heir, his mask was back in place.

“Is there something else you wish to add, Arthur?”

“I didn’t mean that I didn’t want him. I just didn’t feel I was worthy of such a powerful gift. You honour me, Father. It would be my absolute pleasure to train him.” Arthur stepped forward, his voice silky and smooth. Uther relaxed, but Merlin froze. He was right in thinking the prince was just as bad as the father. He lifted his feet off the ground, letting the chains take his weight as the man approached. He was going to fight back for all he was worth before he let him bind him in the chains. Arthur took the manacles from his father and stepped forward.

Merlin lashed out.

Putting as much force as he could behind the blow, he drove his feet into the prince, smirking in satisfaction when he stumbled back a step, shock evident on his face. But Merlin’s victory was short lived as Uther back-handed him sharply, making him taste blood as his ears rang.

“Now, Arthur,” he ordered, and the prince stepped forward again. Merlin couldn’t work out which was the actual man and which was the trick his vision was playing on him. He knew a whimper escaped him, but there was nothing he could do as he felt the shackles being locked around his wrists. They were just cuffs rather than chains, but Merlin could instantly feel the magic within them.

His head swum for an entirely different reason to Uther’s blow and it was as if some part of his soul was sucked into the cuffs, binding him to Arthur’s will. Nimueh had reassured him the only thing the cuffs could control was where they were kept, but Merlin gasped. He had never felt his magic restrained before until a few days ago when the men had come out of nowhere and forced the collar around his neck. Now it was as if they were testing just how many ways he could withstand and Merlin felt tears slip down his face.

He was vaguely aware of Uther congratulating his son. Merlin didn’t pay any attention, barely even noticing when the door opened, then shut again. There was an audible click as the lock was turned and Merlin finally looked up when he realised the room was in silence.

The king had left. The prince, however, was still standing by the door. He was leaning back on it, examining Merlin closely. Merlin couldn’t work out the look. There wasn’t the same gleam in his eyes that was present with the king, he didn’t _look_ as if he was about to force Merlin to submit. Then again, Merlin knew he didn’t look like a powerful sorcerer; first impressions meant nothing.

But Arthur almost looked conflicted, resigned even. Merlin stared back, refusing to drop his gaze or be intimidated. After a few moments, a touch of a smile ghosted over the prince’s face and he moved away from the door. Merlin refused to say anything. He was certain his voice would be shaking and he didn’t want it to betray his fear. Arthur came close, reaching up to the chains that bound Merlin to the ceiling.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with you now?” The man murmured. Merlin simply stared at him. He knew anything he said would be the wrong thing and potentially give Arthur ideas. But although he knew the first thing Uther would have done to him had the man kept him, Arthur didn’t look the slightest bit inclined to force himself upon his new slave. Merlin let his stare slip into a glare, determined to keep it as some sort of armour.

Arthur’s fingers flicked at the chains before he turned away. Merlin felt himself drop before he had truly noticed what the man had done. He had detached him from the one on the ceiling, but left him handcuffed with both sets of chains. Merlin glanced towards where Arthur seemed to be heading and realised there was a key on the table. There was no lock, no obvious seal on the magical cuffs. But the others were just ordinary restraints and Merlin knew the prince was simply going to get the key to unchain him.

Merlin – although knowing it potentially wasn’t his best plan – had no intention of waiting around that long. He lunged forward, looping the chain binding his wrists together around Arthur’s neck and yanked back as hard as he could. The prince stumbled, choking in surprise as Merlin tried to tighten his grip the best he could. But apart from the meal at Gaius’s, he was weak. He had spent the best part of a week being starved, humiliated and beaten.

Arthur was a trained and rested prince of Camelot.

Merlin didn’t stand a chance.

Before he realised what was happening, Arthur had continued to walk backwards. Merlin only noticed that he wasn’t stumbling or choking, however, when Arthur slammed him into the wall. Merlin gasped but stubbornly held on tighter, trying to twist his hands in the chains in order to restrict the prince’s breathing. He was rewarded with a gasp, before Arthur stepped forward and slammed back again.

Merlin felt his grip loosen and it was all the prince needed. He did an awkward twist that Merlin didn’t even feel and suddenly, the warlock found that he was staring straight at the prince, his hands being held against the wall above his head. To his fury, there was still an amused smirk on the prince’s face even if there was a bright red line across his neck. Merlin would have felt satisfied if it wasn’t for the fact that Arthur didn’t seem the slightest bit perturbed that his new gift had just tried to kill him.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t try that again,” he said mildly, continuing to hold Merlin’s hands against the wall even as he reached up and unlocked the normal cuffs. He caught them easily in one hand and pulled them away before letting go and stalking back across the room. He unlocked the door, opened it and threw the cuffs out before locking it again. Merlin lunge at him, his fear finally giving way and forcing him to just react. He hadn’t even considered what he was going to do when he reached the prince, he just knew he wanted to hurt him.

Once again, he was subdued easily. Despite Merlin’s struggles, kicks and vicious blows, Arthur’s hands simply wrapped around his wrists as he forced him across the room. Merlin lashed out harder when he felt himself hit the bed, but the prince forced him down, using his body weight to hold him flat.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, his voice commanding, “but you have to stop fighting me.”

“So you can fuck me in your own time?” Merlin spat, attempting to wrench his hands out of the prince’s hold. Arthur’s face clouded over in anger and he stepped back. The loss of restriction happened so suddenly that Merlin could only lie there, panting and staring up at his new master with a wild look in his eye.

“I’m not my father.” Arthur said bluntly, backing away and stalking back across the room. “But if you don’t stop trying to kill me, I’m going to have to-,”

Merlin lunged up again, not waiting to hear the end of the sentence.

“Stay there,” Arthur ordered. Only it wasn’t just words. The order was to do with his location and so the cuffs flared into life. Merlin dropped halfway through a step, realising he couldn’t so much as shuffle forward. He glared at the prince.

“Stop fighting me,” Arthur said, his voice firm, “and I’ll let you up.”

“Go to hell,” Merlin snarled. He didn’t care what discomfort he was going to have to endure. There was no way he was going to back down and be obedient, regardless of how smooth talking the prince seemed to be. He vowed there and then, trapped on the floor, that he was never going to let Arthur so much as touch him without fighting every step of the way. He was going to make the prince’s life a living hell until he had no choice but to release him.

MMM

Arthur didn’t know if leaving the boy alone in his chambers was a good idea or not. He didn’t really see what choice he had, he had to get out of there. For now, he was satisfied the cuffs would hold the youth in place and not let him move from the spot on the floor. He had no intention of ever using their power when he had bound them to the boy, but at least it meant he could move around without an attempt on his life because the sorcerer was stuck. It wasn’t as if he was going to just leave him there on the floor, he wasn’t that sort of man. But he hoped it would force the boy to think and calm down, and stop accusing Arthur of being something he wasn’t.

It wasn’t as if he could take the sorcerer with him either as he quietly walked the corridors. For an unknown reason, he made sure he took a quiet route, not being in the mood to play knight, prince or host to anyone he might come across. There was only one person he could talk to right now and Arthur had no intention of stopping until he got there.

It felt like it took far too long to reach his destination, but he was finally knocking on Gaius’ door. He had learnt the hard way barging in on the physician was not a good idea; if the man had a patient it used to cost Arthur a cuff around the ear. After seeing something he really didn’t want to see when he was thirteen, Arthur had always knocked. To this day he still had no idea how that man had been alive with injuries like that. But a voice bid him enter almost immediately and Arthur knew he had been expected.

Somehow, that didn’t make him feel any better. Pushing open the door, Arthur didn’t have to look far in order to find Gaius. The old man was bent over his bench, studying something intently. Arthur gave him a moment after entering before he cleared his throat meaningfully. Gaius peered over at him.

“What can I do for you, Sire?” There was a note in Gaius’ voice that Arthur hadn’t heard before and he frowned. It had taken him years to win the respect of the old man, and right now it sounded like he was being disapproved of.

“What have you got for a headache?” Arthur asked quietly, sinking onto a stool and running his fingers through his hair in frustration. All of his work, all of the secret discussions and attempts and this was what it had resulted in; him being gifted with a sorcerer of his own. As soon as he saw the boy he knew what his father was playing at. He would have stuck by his determination to say no if it hadn’t been for the fear in the boy’s eyes. It had only appeared when his father mentioned training him himself and Arthur knew it was the only way he could protect him by taking him on himself. They had no solution yet, no one to free those imprisoned. So for now, it seemed the only thing that Arthur could do was at least protect one from his father’s cruelty.

A hand squeezed the back of his neck reassuringly and Arthur knew Gaius could see what was wrong. No doubt the old man had been waiting to see how Arthur was going to react and the headache was a sign that he wasn’t taking it well. A phial was pressed into his hand.

“I have something stronger if the problem persists,” he said gently. Arthur downed it, grimacing at the taste but sagging in relief. He had barely noticed the pounding in his temples until he had been navigating the corridors, but it had made itself known with a vengeance. It always seem to be his father’s fault when he got one.

“The problem has already tried to kill me about four times,” Arthur muttered. Gaius was suddenly crouching in front of him, his fingers gently probing at the red marks still obvious on his neck. He knew he should have been on his guard; the boy didn’t know Arthur wouldn’t hurt him. If he was honest, Arthur had admired his spirit. It seemed it didn’t matter what his father had already done, this boy was not going to go down without a fight. Arthur just wished he could make him understand that he wasn’t his enemy.

“What caused this?”

“A chain.” Gaius looked impressed and Arthur blushed at the fact his supposed slave had already been able to mark him so obviously.

“I knew he was spirited.”

“What’s his name?” Arthur asked, realising he didn’t actually know. Gaius pulled around a stool and began dabbing ointment onto Arthur’s neck. The prince let him; it was easier to get Gaius to open up and talk if he was busy at the same time.

“Normally I would tell you to find that out yourself. But this time I don’t think he is going to be forthcoming with information any time soon and calling him something you thought of yourself is not going to help matters. His name is Merlin.”

“Merlin,” Arthur repeated slowly, finding that he was glancing towards the door. He knew he should probably get back; he had never had to use the cuffs before and had no idea how effective they truly were at keeping someone in one place. He gently pushed Gaius’ hands away and stood up. After taking a step towards the door, Arthur stopped and looked back around.

“Do you have his clothes?”

“Excuse me?”

“I can’t let him stay in a glorified nightshirt, Gaius. He’s exposing himself every time he moves. I can’t always be there to protect him and if a guard or someone enters and…”

“Are you attracted to him, Arthur?”

Arthur thought about it. He knew he was; it was why he wanted the youth covered up. He was all long limbed, pale skin and defiance and it was enough for Arthur to know he would find his equal in the boy despite one being a collared slave and the other a prince. But that was not the type of man he was, nor would he ever be.

“That doesn’t matter. I want him clothed properly,” Arthur let a hint of an order slip into his tone. He wasn’t going to have Gaius judge him when he was trying the best he could. His answer seemed to satisfy the old man for he nodded towards a corner where there was a heap. Arthur scooped the whole thing into his arms and headed towards the door again. This time, it was Gaius who called him back.

“Arthur?” The old man waited until Arthur had turned to face him before smiling gently. “You’re a good man. Don’t let your father make you believe otherwise.”

Arthur nodded and left with all the dignity of a prince. But once the door had shut behind him, he leant against the wall and sagged. He felt he could think clearer now the headache had gone but Gaius had touched a nerve. Arthur had already begun to doubt himself the fact that he had said yes to the slave, despite his reasons being noble. Deciding to believe Gaius, Arthur set back off to his chambers.

He was met with a fiery glare the second he entered and Arthur found himself secretly glad the collars worked against even the most powerful. He was sure if even a slither of Merlin’s magic was free, he would have been roasted on the spot. He had to smile at the thought, only Arthur made sure to cover it up by turning to lock the door. He pocketed the key. Arthur had no intention of using the cuffs to keep Merlin trapped in one place, but he could at least use more conventional methods to make sure the boy didn’t leave the room.

“What are you planning to do with those, gag me and tie me down?” Merlin spat, eyeing the armful of cloth in Arthur’s arms in distrust. Arthur ignored him and instead threw the pile at him. Merlin flinched, then suddenly realised he was looking at his own clothes. He didn’t say anything as he stared up at Arthur, confusion in his eyes.

“Get dressed, Merlin,” Arthur muttered. To his relief, the order was enough to overcome his command about Merlin staying there and the boy was able to move again. For a long moment, he didn’t, however. He just sat there, clutching the clothes and staring up at Arthur.

“How did you-?”

“What would you rather I called you? Sorcerer? Slave?” Arthur knew his voice was harsh, but Merlin had tried to attack him constantly. Merlin didn’t answer again and carefully stood up, pulling on his trousers first. The tension seemed to leave him once he was covered up and he swiftly dressed. Arthur couldn’t stop himself from letting out a small chuckle at seeing him fastening a scarf around his neck. But then he realised the material was enough to hide the collar and Merlin seemed to relax far more once it was on.

“I’d rather you let me go,” Merlin muttered. Arthur took a moment to realise what he was referring to, but then he sighed. He eased himself down at his table, reaching for a goblet. Luckily, it was only water. He wasn’t in the mood to fetch something else and knew he would have downed it even if it was wine; it was being one of those days.

“I can’t.”

“You can. All you have to do is…”

“Merlin, enough. I can’t. Besides, you’d never get anywhere and then my father wouldn’t let you out of his sight again until you were trained. If that is what you would rather, then go ahead and finish that sentence.”

Merlin flinched. Arthur knew bringing up his father would have been a sure way to make him back down; Merlin’s terror of Uther had been obvious to Arthur since the second he had stepped into the room and seen them both.

“What are you going to do to me?” Despite the defiance still being obvious in Merlin’s voice, Arthur was sure he detected a tremble. He knew his father didn’t treat his slaves well, but he had no idea how far that went. He wasn’t naïve: he knew he raped them. But he just didn’t know how brutal he was. Now, however, he knew it was bad. Merlin was terrified at even the thought of the king and Arthur sighed.

“Ignore you if I can. But I can only do that if you stop trying to kill me,” he murmured. Merlin flushed but continued to glare at him. Arthur knew that while the boy might not be attacking him right now, he had by no means backed down. Arthur ran a hand across his face and glanced at the huge pile of reports waiting for him.

“In the wardrobe there are spare blankets and cushions. Take them out and make yourself a bed somewhere. Preferably far away from mine.”

He didn’t think Merlin would obey, but the boy eventually shuffled across the room. No doubt he wanted a better look at his new prison. Arthur knew he couldn’t let him have the anti-chamber – Merlin would be gone before Arthur even retired for the night – and it wasn’t like he could have him in his own bed. It was going to have to be the floor and he made a mental note to try and find a small cot of sorts for the future.

For now, however, he just tried to focus on his work and ignore the fact that he had a very big problem that came in the form of an angry sorcerer bound to him.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of the key turning in the lock made Merlin flinch. He whipped around, knowing he wouldn’t have time to return the poker to the fire before Arthur entered. He wondered if he could use it as a weapon instead. It might prove more useful as that rather than forcing the manacles off his wrists. Arthur didn’t use a chain to bind his hands together, leaving the cuffs more like bracelets than actual restraints. But Merlin could feel how they restricted him; Arthur only had to say something and he was bound.

But to his surprise, Arthur hadn’t done it other than that first day and during the night. Merlin knew he brought that on himself; he had crept from his own nest of blankets in the middle of the night, seized Arthur’s bread knife from the table and lunged for the prince. Arthur had been waiting for him the first night, but the second it was only due to the prince rolling over at the right time that meant Merlin had missed. He had seen something in Arthur that night. There had been a look in the man’s eyes that meant Merlin knew he was now being treated seriously rather than just a prisoner.

Arthur had understood that Merlin had every intention of killing him rather than submitting to his situation. It was as if he had seen Merlin as a man for the first time rather than just a prisoner he had no choice but to deal with.

But that had been five days ago now. Almost a week he had been in Arthur’s rooms now, not having left. He tried. Arthur hadn’t used the cuffs, he had simply locked the door. But it hadn’t taken Merlin long to realise he was an awful lock pick. He had never needed to before; his magic did the work for him. Now his power was restrained and he had to do things manually, Merlin realised there wasn’t actually a lot he could do. As of yet, he hadn’t been able to force Arthur’s door.

Instead, he spent the time using whatever he could find in Arthur’s rooms to try and get the cuffs off him. He had a feeling Arthur knew what he was doing; it was impossible to ignore the blood dripping from one wrist when an attempt had gone wrong and Gaius had to be called. Merlin’s face had been blazing by the time the old man had finished bandaging him up and giving him a lecture on there being so much to live for despite his position. Arthur had simply smirked at him, clearly believing he deserved it for hurting himself in the first place.

But the strange thing was, Arthur hadn’t stopped him. Merlin had expected for the prince to narrow the area he was allowed in after it had happened, or at least to make sure there was nothing he could use to do it again. But Arthur hadn’t. He had just given him a strange look as he left for training the next morning. It was almost like he wanted Merlin to find a way out of the cuffs…

The door began to creak open and it was enough for Merlin to snap himself out of his musings. Not knowing what else to do with the poker, he sat on it. Arthur entered, throwing his cloak to one side and glancing for his slave. Merlin noted it had become a habit ever since Merlin had thrown himself at him the first time Arthur stepped back through the door. That had resulted in him receiving a sharp rap to the head that day as Arthur tried to stop himself from being killed. It was almost a routine now; Merlin felt uncomfortable if he hadn’t made an attempt on the prince’s life at least once.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Merlin spat, glaring at the prince. He knew it was a pretence now. He told himself that he hated Arthur, that he wouldn’t stop until he had killed the man and escaped. But as the week had gone on, he knew that wasn’t true. Arthur hadn’t actually done anything to him. He hadn’t even touched Merlin unless it was to subdue him after Merlin had initiated an attack. He almost looked as if he wanted Merlin to find a way to free himself.

Watching as Arthur threw his cloak over his chair, unbuckled his sword and threw that on the bed, Merlin let his hand slip under his body, grasping the edge of the poker. He might have only been here a week, but he was beginning to feel like he understood Arthur’s habits. After coming in, the prince would always pour himself a drink; water or wine depending on where he had been and his mood. Sure enough, Arthur turned his back on his prisoner as he moved towards the table.

Merlin rose to his feet. Despite his clumsiness, he knew he could move with stealth when he wanted to. He had managed to sneak up on Arthur enough times over the week to know that although the prince always stopped him, he was impressed with Merlin’s attempts. Shifting the poker into a more ready position, Merlin lunged.

He didn’t even notice he wasn’t lined up right, that his lunge was going to take him straight past Arthur. He didn’t even get the chance to follow it through, for Arthur’s hand simply stuck up into the air and he caught the poker. With a twist of his arm, he brought his elbow down over it and wrenched it from Merlin’s grip before casually leaning over and actually poking the fire with it.

“Thank you. I thought it was cool in here.”

Merlin simply stared at him. Apart from the one time where he had almost been able to stab the sleeping prince, Arthur either ignored the assassin attempts or treated them as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience. It was infuriating him that he couldn’t seem to touch Arthur on any sort of level.

Kicking out at the prince’s chair and feeling satisfaction as it jerked slightly, Merlin stalked back to the other end of the room. He almost tripped over various things on the way and by the time he threw himself down onto the bundle he called a bed, Arthur had turned to look at him.

“I fired my servant the day you arrived,” he said quietly. Merlin simply stared at him.

“Why? Scared someone might let me out.”

“No. More concerned someone might…you know what, never mind.”

“Tell me,” Merlin demanded. He wanted to know what Arthur was going to say, especially as there had been a strange note in his voice. Merlin heard it from time to time, mainly when Arthur thought he wasn’t listening. It was as if the prince actually cared. But if he did, then why hadn’t he just let him go?

“It was nothing.”

“Tell me!”

“Shout at me again and I’ll have you in the stocks.” A hint of reproach was in Arthur’s voice this time. It was another tone Merlin was getting used to; the prince was used to being treated with respect by whoever he came across. Why he thought Merlin would respect him at the same time as trying to kill him, Merlin had no idea. Arthur Pendragon seemed to be a very strange man indeed.

“At least that gives me a change of scenery than being stuck in your mess all the time.”

“What I was trying to say,” Arthur stood up and Merlin instantly found himself pressing back against the wall. He knew he would lose if it came to a fight, he didn’t even see the point of standing up. But there was something intimidating about having the man who didn’t seem to notice how many times Merlin had tried to kill him standing over him. He knew Arthur was a trained warrior and the first Knight of Camelot.

“Was that you could at least make yourself useful and try and tidy it up a little bit. These are your rooms as well, whether you like it or not.”

Merlin stared at him for a long moment, trying to work out what he was supposed to say in response to that. He hoped Arthur didn’t expect him to feel grateful that he got to live in the prince’s rooms. If he had a choice, Merlin knew he would be anywhere but. At the back of his mind, a voice helpfully informed him that wasn’t true. He would rather be in here, being ignored, than in Uther’s rooms. He knew full well the king wouldn’t leave him untouched the way Arthur had done.

“Go to hell,” he muttered, turning his back on Arthur. He didn’t know what else to say, it was the only thing that came to mind. But it was a mistake. Before Merlin realised Arthur had moved, he had been jerked to his feet and Arthur had slammed him against the wall, his arm resting across Merlin’s throat. He wasn’t restricting his breathing, but Merlin knew if he tried to struggle, the prince would only need to apply a little pressure.

“What makes you think I’m not already in it and trying to crawl out?” Arthur spat, his eyes flashing angrily. Merlin was so astounded by the fact this was only the second time Arthur had seemed angry he didn’t truly note what the prince had said.

“So before you get all high and mighty, think yourself lucky that you are in here. You wouldn’t last five minutes outside of this chamber without my protection.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Oh? How are you going to protect yourself? You have no magic.” It wasn’t scorn in Arthur’s voice, but it still felt like a blow to Merlin. Before he knew what he was doing, he was lashing out, forcing Arthur’s arm away from his throat. But that was as far as he got. He didn’t acknowledge any movement had even taken place before he was face down on his own bed, his arm twisted up his back and Arthur’s hand on the back of his neck keeping him down. The prince held him down for enough time for his point to sink in before the pressure disappeared.

Merlin rolled over, coughing and gasping for air. He glared at Arthur.

“I hate you,” he muttered vehemently, deciding to re-think his previous feelings towards Arthur. To his utter astonishment, Arthur smiled.

“Good. Hate keeps you alive.”

And with those words, the prince left again. Merlin wasn’t sure why; he was assuming Arthur didn’t want to kill his gift by accident before a week had properly passed. Merlin thought he knew enough about the king to know that would not be met with approval. But as the door was once more locked, Merlin found that he was drawing his knees up to his chest and burying his face in them.

He was shaking. He wasn’t sure it was adrenaline or realising just how easily he could be defeated. No wonder Arthur hadn’t been concerned by Merlin lunging at him with the poker; he was never going to have enough strength behind him in order to actually hurt the man if he collided. Angrily tugging at the cuffs, Merlin cursed savagely when all that happened was the enchanted metal simply cut into his wrists and threatened to bring blood bubbling to the surface once again.

Merlin tried to lash out in anger, but for the first time since he had been brought to Camelot, he found that he was too tired to be angry. He wanted to be away from here. He wanted the collar off from around his neck and the manacles on his wrists to disappear. He wanted to go home.

Knowing he was alone and there was a locked door between him and the rest of the world, Merlin let the tears come for the first time since being taken prisoner.

MMM

Arthur swore and twisted where he stood until his back was pressed against the stone work. Not caring if it was a princely action or not, he sank down the wall until he was resting in a crouch, his hands gripping his knees as he tried to control his emotions. He hadn’t gone far after leaving; he had been worried Merlin would try something again that would result in him being hurt, there had been that same wild look in his eye that Arthur had seen in men before.

He had simply rounded the corner and watched through the airbrick into his room to see what would happen. It had deeply shocked him to see Merlin break down in tears and now Arthur had no idea what to do. He had been trying to keep the man safe for the entire week, knowing that Merlin would sink a knife into his back the second he turned around. His constant stubbornness to back down was causing Arthur to respect him more than he wanted to admit to himself. If he was honest, he wasn’t sure he would survive in this sort of situation the way Merlin was, he wasn’t sure he was strong enough.

But he knew things couldn’t keep going the way they were. One day Merlin would be lucky with his blow and Arthur would be killed. Then it would all be for nothing; everything he had been trying to work towards would be over in a blink of an eye and Merlin… Arthur shuddered about what his father would do to Merlin. He had an unhealthy appetite for violence at the best of times, let alone if something actually gave him cause for anger. The prince stopped himself there. Thinking about his father never led to improving his mood. He should go and see Elyan, see how progress was coming.

Yet he couldn’t just leave Merlin crying. Not when he felt like it was his fault.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to comfort the man. They both had their pride; Merlin wouldn’t accept it any more than Arthur would awkwardly give it. But he could hardly leave him like that… Hit with an idea, Arthur managed a smile as he climbed back to his feet. It was time to pay the king’s ward a visit.

He moved through the corridors quickly, the route being one of the most familiar to him. How many times had he slipped away from his own rooms and stole towards Morgana’s in the dead of night, needing her reassurance that he was doing the right thing going against his own father? But it had felt like an age since he had last done this; mainly because she had refused to let him in after hearing he had accepted Uther’s gift. She must have known he had only done it to keep Merlin safe but that hadn’t stopped her from blanking him.

This time, however, Arthur was adamant that he was going to be granted entry.

“Morgana?”  Rapping on her door, Arthur waited. There was the sound of movement – she was in there.

“Go away.”

“No. I’m not moving until I talk to you.”

“What could you possibly have to say, you hypocritical-,”

“I need your help.” Arthur automatically dropped his voice to make sure any passing guard wouldn’t hear him. He had his own pride, after all. But he knew her; knew that Morgana would never pass over the opportunity to help him out even if it was just to hold it over him for all eternity. Her abuse of words stopped and there was a pause. Then the door was taken off the latch. It wasn’t opened as such, but Arthur knew that was as good as he was going to get. He quickly let himself in and locked it behind him again.

Morgana stood in the middle of her room, dressed in an elegant green gown and her hands on her hips as she regarded him coolly. Arthur smirked. She certainly had an air about her that meant no one would mess with her. Arthur had never needed to protect her from the advancements of knights – Morgana could do that perfectly well herself and Arthur knew more than one of his men who thought themselves foolish enough to try cursed the shoes Morgana clicked around the castle in.

“Well?” She demanded haughtily, making it quite apparent that she still hadn’t forgiven him. Arthur stared at her, trying to remember for a long moment why he had come. There was something about Morgana’s rooms that made him feel safe, despite the fact that she was younger than him. She always reminded him of his purpose and why they had to turn against their king. She reminded him who he was.

But now that safety was crashing over him, Arthur suddenly felt that he had spent every waking hour (and sleeping one, for that matter) defending himself against Merlin’s attempts. He was exhausted, stressed and totally out of his depth.

“My Lady!” he barely heard Gwen’s cry as the maid drew Morgana’s attention to the fact Arthur was falling. With the speed only a servant seemed to possess, she had moved forward and aided him to the bed before ducking a quick curtsey and hurrying away again. Morgana was by his side by the time the light-headedness had passed.

“Are you ill?” She asked, but Arthur could hear her tone had softened.

“Just exhausted. He’s tried to kill me every day.”

“Are you surprised?”

“I’ve tried to make him see that he is safe, that I won’t touch him.”

“And have you?”

“No! I wouldn’t, ‘Gana, I’m not him. You know I only said yes because otherwise Father was going to have him. You should have seen the look in his eye. I think he would have shackled him and fucked him right there in my room, tied to my ceiling.” Arthur murmured, feeling sickened at the thought. No wonder there had been such terror on Merlin’s eyes; he had known that as well.

“Why are you here, Arthur? You know I’m not going to make your excuses for you. If you want Merlin to believe that you mean him no harm, you’re going to have to work on that one yourself.”

“I know,” Arthur said glumly. “He’s crying and I don’t know what to do.”

Morgana started, staring at him as she hadn’t truly seen him before. Before Arthur knew what was coming, his sister had sat down next to him and pulled him into her arms, stroking his hair softly. She had done this many times in the past when Arthur felt like he couldn’t go on, she was his strength. The world might know her as the King’s Ward, but to Arthur she was more like a sister.

“You’re really out of your depth with this one, aren’t you?” She murmured softly, and for the first time since Merlin had come into his possession, Arthur could only hear sympathy in her voice.

“I was hoping that, well, maybe Gwen could…”

“We’re on our way,” Morgana declared, rising to her feet. Her maid was there by her side instantly, fastening a cloak around her shoulders. Morgana waited until Arthur had pulled himself together and climbed to his feet. He offered her his arm and the pair walked out, Gwen on their heels. Feeling rebellious and daring, Arthur then proceeded to offer Gwen his other arm. She giggled and blushed furiously, but took it. She had been his childhood friend for so long now, she felt like another sister.

Luckily, the corridors remained quiet and Arthur’s daring remained unnoticed. He slipped free from the women when they reached his chambers, unlocking the door. He could feel the burning look Morgana gave him for that but he ignored it. The second he opened the door, Arthur knew he wasn’t the only one who heard the intake of breath. Merlin hadn’t unfolded from the curled up position Arthur had spied him sitting in and he seemed to tense, going rigid at knowing other people were in the room. Arthur was sure he was still crying up until when they stepped in, for Merlin didn’t lift his head but instead curled up tighter.

Gwen glanced at Morgana, who nodded. Instantly, the maid was across the room and dropping to Merlin’s side, kneeling next to him and shuffling as close as he would allow. Morgana crossed the room.

“Help me with this, would you?” She called to Arthur. To his astonishment, she had hold of one end of his changing screen. Knowing he had asked for her help, Arthur took the other end and placed it where Morgana directed. Right in front of Merlin and Gwen, hiding them from the rest of the room. Merlin’s head was turned to face Gwen even though he made sure the rest of the room couldn’t see him and even as the screen was put into place, Gwen’s arm came to drape over Merlin’s shoulders and she pulled him close. Arthur couldn’t help but smile.

He took his usual seat at his table, Morgana joining him. She fixed him with a steely look.

“You need to let him out of this room,” her voice was low, making sure it didn’t carry. “I can’t believe you restrained him in such a way…”

“I only locked the door,” Arthur protested. “I only use the cuffs at night.”

“I can’t believe you use them at all.”

“He almost killed me one night. And I don’t mean just an attempt, I mean he nearly did it.” That silenced Morgana and she glanced towards the screen in alarm. Arthur could tell she hadn’t taken the assassin attempts seriously; they both knew Arthur was the best warrior in Camelot, not a lot could touch him. The fact this slave almost could was a wake-up call.

“If you’re not trying to restrain him, why do you lock the door?”

“How long do you think he would stay in here if I gave him the choice?” Arthur murmured, making sure that his voice didn’t carry. “Do you think Father has forgotten him already? I’m hoping keeping him out of sight will mean he won’t draw attention to himself. If Father gets even a glimpse of him, how long until the guards drag him off?”

“But he gifted him to you…”

“He will think I’ve unwrapped my gift by now.” Arthur responded bitterly, feeling sick. He knew his father valued the price of a virgin, but once Arthur had taken Merlin for his own, it was less important. His father would take him, rape him and then send him back under orders not to breathe a word or it would happen again.

“You can’t keep him in here forever, Arthur. He looks ill.”

“What do you suppose I do?”

“Talk to Leon. Get him to organise the knights so the ones you trust are the ones stationed around your room. Let him be your servant and see places.”

“I tried that earlier. He told me to go to hell.”

“Did you try it or did you just tell him to tidy up?” Arthur flushed and Morgana grinned, knowing she had caught him out. She always had done; ever since they were children she had known what to say in order to trip Arthur up. It had infuriated him then and still did now.

Arthur ran his fingers through his hair before taking a swig of his drink. “Why is it so hard to try and keep someone safe?”

Morgana made a sympathetic noise but Arthur was more concerned by the rustle of noise he had heard from behind the screen. Too late did he realise he had forgotten to lower his voice this time. Merlin had just heard what he had said.


	4. Chapter 4

“You want me to want?”

Merlin knew he was sounding rude again as he stood there staring at Arthur, trying to work out what the man was telling him. But he didn’t care. He had felt on edge ever since his breakdown. He hadn’t known who Gwen was or where she came from, but for the first time since being brought to Camelot, he had allowed himself to be comforted. Before long, she had made him laugh although Merlin had quickly stifled it – he wasn’t sure slaves were allowed to laugh.

But it wasn’t the comfort that had him feeling like he no longer knew what was going on. It was what he had heard the prince say. Arthur’s voice had been little more than a murmur for most of the conversation and it was the only reason why Merlin believed he meant what he said rather than it being some sort of trick in order to make him let his guard down. Arthur hadn’t meant for him to hear it, yet Merlin had. He had heard the prince admit that he was trying to keep him safe by locking him in the rooms.

Now Merlin had no idea how he was supposed to feel.

He had thought Arthur had done it because he didn’t trust him, that he thought Merlin would run the second he was given any sort of freedom. If he was honest, Merlin thought that was what he would do too, but he knew he had to time it right. Arthur couldn’t know that he was running until he was far away as otherwise the shackles could be used to bring him back again. He never considered that Arthur was actually trying to keep him out of sight to stop his father from coming after him.

It changed everything.

“Go to the kitchens and get breakfast. What is so hard about that, _Mer_ lin?”

Merlin rolled his eyes. Arthur’s tone hadn’t changed, but Merlin was hearing it different. He wasn’t sounding scathing when he drawled his name like that, but almost a type of fond exasperation. It was as if Arthur knew he was stuck in this as well and was trying not to take it out on his slave. Merlin was confused. How had he heard irritation when it seemed there was only exasperation? What else had he misunderstood about Arthur?

“I don’t know the way.”

“Then this is the perfect time for you to find out,” Arthur dismissed. Merlin flinched as Arthur grabbed his arm, but the hold – while strong – wasn’t tight. Arthur yanked him across the room and Merlin was too busy trying not to stumble over his own feet in order to fight it. It was early morning, earlier than they usually rose, and he hadn’t yet figured out what method he was going to try in order to be free today. Maybe a chance to see the rest of the castle, get to know the layout, would be beneficial before running?

Arthur unlocked the door and pushed Merlin towards it. But before he let go, he drew the other man in closer.

“Go straight there and back again,” he ordered, his voice low and dangerous. “Or I’ll bring you back by force.”

With those words, he shoved Merlin out of the door and shut it behind him. For a moment, Merlin froze. This was the first time he had left the rooms since being forced into them, the first time he had been in the castle without guards flanking him. Merlin was suddenly aware of just how big Camelot was and how small he felt in comparison. He swallowed hard, pressing himself back against the door as his heart thudded hard. He had been trying to get out for days now, but as soon as he was outside, Merlin thought he might prefer the safety of Arthur’s chambers.

As soon as he became aware of that thought, Merlin pushed it from his mind. This was his chance. If he couldn’t handle even finding the kitchens without panicking, then there was no way he was ever going to escape. Knowing the routes around the castle would be crucial when it came to his bid for freedom and he would be a fool to waste it. Not to mention he didn’t want to test Arthur’s patience and force him to use the shackles. He wasn’t yet sure if Arthur was the sort of man who would if he thought Merlin was deliberately disobeying him. Deep down, Merlin didn’t think his new master would do it. But he hated the feeling when he was forced into place each night and had no desire to understand how they felt if he was dragged back.

Keeping close to the wall as if it would offer him some sort of protection, Merlin carefully edged along. When he had passed through two corridors and no one had so much as glanced at him, his confidence grew a little and he managed to walk a little straighter. Still, he kept his hand on the wall and used it as a grounding point. This castle was far too big for the likes of him.

Merlin had no idea how long it took him to find the kitchens. He knew for sure he wasn’t going in the most direct route, but as the sun finished rising, more and more servants were appearing. Some ignored him completely, others gave him a curious look. But they all were heading in the same direction and so Merlin let himself be swept along. Sure enough, he soon found himself in a steaming kitchen, orders being shouted from one end to the other and general chaos reigning.

It made him smile.

“Who are you?” A plump woman stopped in front of him, a spoon in her hand and a scowl on her face. Merlin tried to form a word, but it was as if they lodged in his throat, sticking there and causing him to choke instead. He stumbled back a step, shaking his head wildly and knowing he was shaking in fear. Why, he had no idea. But this was all getting too much for him.

Until a hand suddenly slipped into his.

“Prince Arthur’s servant, Mary. He has come for his breakfast.”

Merlin knew that voice and he spun wildly to see Gwen standing behind him, a warm smile on her face. The cook scowled and bustled away while Merlin let himself be pulled in the other direction.

“Don’t mind her, she’s like that with everyone. Well, not everyone, I suppose she’s not like that with royalty, but with the rest of us…Oh look, here is Arthur’s tray.” There was indeed a laden tray on the counter in front of them. Another was next to it. Gwen lifted it into her arms before gesturing for Merlin to do the same. He felt clumsy and awkward next to her as he balanced it in his hands, but found that he was automatically following Gwen out of the kitchen.

“I’ll show you the short cut back,” Gwen continued, flashing him a bright, sunny smile as she did so. “That way, you can get the food back while it is still hot.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Merlin asked. Instantly, a flash of guilt shot through him as Gwen’s face fell.

“Why shouldn’t I be? I like you.” She said honestly. Merlin felt even worse. He hadn’t been offered kindness since arriving. Gaius had been practical and he still hadn’t figured out Arthur. Uther was just cruel. Yet Gwen didn’t seem to notice the collar around his neck or the cuffs on his wrists. She treated him like he was someone.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s this way.” There was no irritation in her voice, just stopping him from embarrassing himself further. Merlin fell silent as he let her lead him down a corridor. It was certainly a different one compared to where he had approached from and Merlin made sure he was studying the route. It was only when they reached the main corridors did he kick himself. He had been thinking about it in order to make sure he could get the meals back hot rather than thinking about how fast he could get away.

“It’s just down this corridor to the left,” Gwen said, giving him another smile as she made to turn in a different direction. Before she could, however, a shadow fell over the two of them and Merlin looked up to see a noble watching. There was a sneer on his face as his eyes ran over Gwen and Merlin saw the look of fear on her face. This was not a man to mess with. But then the nobleman looked to Merlin and his eyes instantly fell upon the collar around his neck. The sneer widened and he grabbed it, yanking Merlin forward by his throat.

How Merlin held onto the tray, he had no idea. But he didn’t spill anything as he struggled to maintain his balance.

“Sorcerer,” the man spat, pure hatred in his eyes. Merlin tried to pull back, but the man had a firm hold of his collar and there was nothing he could do. He panicked; thinking back to what Arthur had said about him not lasting five minutes out here on his own. Knowing he had to prove he wasn’t defenceless, he kicked the man hard on the shin. It was enough for him to let go and Merlin instantly backed away. He thought he would truly suffer for it when the noble stepped forward, lifting his hand and clearly preparing to strike the slave.

“Edward!” A voice thundered, making Gwen jump. All three of them glanced down the corridor to see Arthur standing there, his hand very purposefully resting on the hilt of his sword. “Touch my property again and I’ll make sure you don’t have hands to touch it a third time.”

The noble scowled, but could do nothing other than dip his head in a small bow towards the prince and stride off. Merlin lent shakily against the wall and Gwen rested her head on his shoulder for a second. Arthur strode towards them.

“Go to your mistress, Gwen,” he said quietly, and unless Merlin was much mistaken, there was nothing but kindness in his voice. Gwen nodded and hurried off, but not before nudging Merlin’s arm gently as a way of saying goodbye. Merlin stared at the floor. He hated the thought that Arthur might think he couldn’t defend himself, especially considering it would mean he was right. But Arthur didn’t say anything, he just stood there for a moment. Eventually, he sighed and turned on his heel.

“Come on, it will be getting cold,” he said, striding off. Merlin followed; he didn’t know what else he could do and pretended to ignore Arthur’s door locking behind him. He gently slid the tray onto the table and made to retreat to his usual corner to sulk in peace.

“I can’t eat all of this, Merlin, honestly. You’ll have to have some.”

Merlin turned, his eyes widened in astonishment. Arthur wasn’t even looking at him, but had already sat down and begun to pull plates towards him. He must have known that Merlin had had no say in what they were being given. But although Arthur didn’t look at him, his foot shoved the other chair out towards Merlin.

Very tentatively, feeling as if he was betraying himself by backing down, Merlin crossed to it and awkwardly perched on the edge. Arthur had made sure he was fed, but it was nothing like this. Telling himself it was just to keep his strength up so he could escape, Merlin reached towards the food and began to eat. He ignored the fact that Arthur was watching him the whole time and as Merlin swallowed, the prince smiled in satisfaction.

MMM

Arthur felt himself relaxing as week went on. Morgana had been right; getting Merlin out of the room was helping. Initially, his slave seemed on edge and Arthur couldn’t blame him – not after what had happened with Edward. But as the days drew on, Merlin began to relax. Arthur knew it was because he had timed Merlin’s excursions with meals and sent him to the kitchens every time. It meant he kept seeing Gwen, and Arthur knew the two of them were making friends.

That alone seemed to be enough to slowly reduce the haunted look in Merlin’s eye.

But something else had changed, something Arthur couldn’t put his finger on. Merlin seemed more guarded and less hateful around him. He still tried to murder Arthur at least once a day, but it was becoming something of a habit between them and Arthur was sure that Merlin wasn’t even trying properly anymore; it was as if he felt he had to make the point of trying to be free even though he knew deep down it wouldn’t work. He had stopped answering back in quite the same way; it was turning into something more like banter rather than hateful comments.

It was as if Merlin was finally starting to realise that Arthur wasn’t the enemy, although the prince himself had no idea what had brought about the change. He hadn’t done anything differently. But he still hadn’t realised his voice had carried during that conversation with Morgana and that Merlin had heard it for himself.

Whatever had happened, Arthur was glad. It was killing him a little each time Merlin looked at him with such hatred. He knew he hadn’t done anything to truly earn the man’s trust, but knowing that Merlin was judging him on his father when Arthur was trying to be the complete opposite was hurtful. Hopefully now, Merlin would give him a chance.

But Arthur’s true test came at the end of the week. He returned from training, hot and frustrated. The session had gone well but Elyan still hadn’t managed to get any further with his investigations. Arthur was loathe to get anyone else involved, knowing doing this was committing treason. But unless there was a break through with the collars soon, he was going to have to. He couldn’t let it keep going on because he was too worried someone might find out what he was doing. Up until now, he had been returning to Leon’s rooms after the session, using the man’s bath and spending the time ranting with his most trusted advisor.

He didn’t trust Merlin not to drown him while his defences were down after training.

But now things were beginning to ease, Arthur knew it was time to test it. He made sure he hadn’t worn himself out entirely, that he would still be able to defend off an attack if he needed too. Yet he also knew he couldn’t keep going someone else for the rest of his life just because he was afraid at what his own slave was going to try. Arthur ordered for it to be brought it, ignoring the way Merlin stiffened in his corner. Arthur had no idea what the man did when he wasn’t there; Merlin was always curled up in his corner whenever Arthur returned.

Arthur waited until the servants had filled the tub with steaming water and departed. It was the first time he had done this in his own room without a servant waiting on him, but Arthur ignored that. He ducked behind his changing screen and quickly stripped. Without even glancing towards Merlin, he sank into the water, rested back and closed his eyes.

It was nice to just be able to relax for a while. For too long Arthur had felt on edge. He knew he had more duties than other men with being the Crown Prince of such a great kingdom, but it was more than that. For so long now he had been secretly fighting against his own father and king, committing treason with nearly every thought that ran through his head. Now he had a slave that wanted him dead to watch out for as well. Arthur just wanted some time to be able to relax and be himself rather than having to put on a front.

Not knowing whether he could trust Merlin enough yet if he should do that, Arthur forced himself to sit up and began washing. Eventually, he glanced over to the corner.

“Come and scrub my back, will you?” He ordered, making sure Merlin knew he didn’t really have a choice. Arthur couldn’t help but feel it was about time he gave Merlin more duties than just fetching his meals. Maybe if the slave was busy, he would be able to relax a little more. Merlin glared at him but eventually shuffled over. Arthur hadn’t been sure he would and there was nothing he could have done; he wasn’t getting out of the tub just to fetch him and he refused to use the cuffs. Merlin’s fingers were toying with them as he moved across and Arthur wondered if the man thought he would be forced.

But Merlin didn’t say anything as he dropped to his knees behind the tub. Arthur handed the cloth over his shoulder and tried to force himself to relax again. If Merlin took this chance to once again try and kill him, Arthur knew it would all be for nothing. If he couldn’t get Merlin to relax, he was going to have to do something about him just to make sure he wasn’t murdered in his own bed.

Yet all he could feel was the cloth being dragged down his back. It was rougher than he was used to, but to Arthur’s surprise he found he liked it. He closed his eyes, rolling his head forward so that Merlin could reach his neck and just enjoyed the sensation for a while. But there was only so much that Merlin was prepared to do and he practically threw the cloth back at Arthur when he was done.

Knowing it was a start, Arthur quickly washed up, climbed out and dried himself. Standing in the middle of the room with nothing but a towel around his waist, he glanced between the bath and Merlin.

“Strip,” he ordered, only realising the second after he had said it that he had approached it wrong. Merlin went pale and yet his eyes flashed with anger. He shook his head, taking a step back and looking as if he was daring Arthur to come after him. Arthur could only stare at him for a moment, not understanding. But then he thought about his order and the fact he was as good as naked and realised what must have gone through Merlin’s head.

“No, I just mean… For the bath, Merlin. You may as well make use of the hot water and god knows when the last time you cleaned up was. I’m going to get dressed. Just get in the bath.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Arthur stared at him, frozen in mid-step as he stared at the man. “Because I don’t want my servant stinking up the place, that’s why. Get in the bath, Merlin, that’s an order.”

Not waiting to see how Merlin was going to react, Arthur moved back behind his screen and began to dress. He knew Merlin would feel better when Arthur was clothed. The prince knew what the man would have seen being imprisoned in his father’s chambers for those first few days; Uther’s appetite was insatiable when it came to Nimueh. No wonder he was so on edge the whole time.

Arthur sighed as he dressed, wondering how he was ever going to get it through to Merlin he wasn’t like his father. But when he heard the water rippling slightly, he smiled. It seemed Merlin could do as he was told sometimes. Arthur moved back around the screen, but he was a second too soon. Merlin was still lowering himself into the bath. Luckily for Arthur, Merlin didn’t see him.

But Arthur saw Merlin.

Instantly, his mind was taken back to that first night and the question that Gaius had asked him. Was he attracted to his gift? Arthur hadn’t really thought about it since then, he had been too busy trying to work things out. But looking at him now, seeing him properly, Arthur felt his own body stir in a way it hadn’t done for a long time. He could feel himself blushing and instantly moved back around the screen. It made things harder the fact he wouldn’t mind having Merlin wrapped around him, all long limbed and defiance. It was certainly a more appealing notion than anyone else; they just saw his title. Arthur had a feeling Merlin would give as good as he got in bed the way he did in life.

But it didn’t matter. Nothing would ever come of how he felt so there was no point in even thinking it.

Merlin hated him and Arthur would never force himself upon another. Rearranging his britches and banishing the thought from his head, he made a point of being loud as he came back around the screen. Merlin was under the water now, covered and awkwardly trying to scrub himself. The collar and manacles stood out in contrast to his pale skin and Arthur tried to squash the familiar anger burning in him. Merlin didn’t need to know how Arthur truly thought about the situation. The less people who knew, the safer it was for everyone.

Trying to ignore his bathing servant, Arthur moved to his desk in order to try and do some paperwork. But he kept glancing over, and when he saw Merlin struggling to wash his own back, Arthur sighed. What was the use of pretending, it was obvious he wouldn’t get anything done. So instead, he decided to do the most un-princely thing ever.

He crossed the room, dropped to his knees behind the tub and pulled the cloth from Merlin’s hand. Merlin sucked in a surprised breath, but Arthur simply dipped it into the water and gently began washing Merlin’s back. Merlin stiffened, but he didn’t say anything. Arthur took that as a sign of encouragement and continued washing the man, wondering if this would be some sort of peace offering between them. Gradually, he crawled around the bath until he was in front of Merlin, concentrating on the arm he was washing.

He should have known. He should have been more alert. But he was too focused on his task that he didn’t see Merlin move until it was too late. Merlin’s hand shot out, grabbing him by the hair and using Arthur’s awkward position to his advantage. Arthur only had one hand braced against the tub, it wasn’t enough as Merlin yanked forward and in one movement, forced Arthur’s head under the water. Arthur made to buck up again, knowing he could break the hold. But the floor was wet and he slipped as he moved, only managing to result in cracking his head against the side of the tub. Dizziness instantly overwhelmed him and his resistance disappeared as his vision swum. He was still being held under, and right now there was nothing he could do about it.

From what felt like miles above him, he heard Merlin murmur something. It might have been an apology, Arthur had no idea. But in one last attempt to free himself, he accidentally swallowed water as his sluggish mind tried to keep up with what was happening.

A hysterical thought crossed his mind that a shackled slave had been able to kill the Crown Prince of Camelot and the land’s finest warrior. But there was nothing he could do about it, for his vision was darkening and he knew he didn’t have the strength to get out of the water again.

Merlin had won.


	5. Chapter 5

“Arthur?” Merlin dropped his gaze, staring into the water to where his fingers were still entwined with the prince’s hair. He thought for a moment that it was some sort of trick, that Arthur was just about to explode out of the bath and drag Merlin himself under as revenge. But when the prince’s body seemed to just slump forward a little more, Merlin found himself swearing.

He leapt to his feet, almost slipping due to still being in the tub himself. He heaved Arthur out, watching as the prince flopped back onto the ground and simply lay there. Panicking, Merlin scrambled out and quickly dropped to his knees next to the man. It only took one look to know he wasn’t breathing.

Merlin thought about calling for the guards, but he knew it would take too long. Instinct took over and he moved closer, tilting Arthur’s head back. A child had almost drowned in their village once and the memory of the parents forcing air back into his little body had never left Merlin. Pinching Arthur’s nose, he took a deep breath and started to force air down the prince’s throat and into his lungs. Merlin was panting himself within just a few moments, panic making him slow and clumsy when he knew he needed to move fast. He had just begun to think he had actually killed the prince when Arthur suddenly lurched to one side, coughing and retching as he emptied his lungs. Water splashed out of his mouth and over Merlin where he was kneeling. Merlin couldn’t believe how much he had swallowed in that short space of time.

When Arthur was done coughing, he rolled back again and went limp. He was still unconscious; Merlin wasn’t sure he had actually woken up. But he was breathing again now and when the warlock shakily pressed fingers against his neck, it was to feel a pulse.

Arthur was alive.

And Merlin had no idea why he had done it.

For days now he had been trying to kill the prince, knowing it would be the only way that Arthur couldn’t use the cuffs against him. It wasn’t even anything personal; Arthur hadn’t done anything other than not let him go. But deep down, Merlin knew he had never intended to actually hurt him, he didn’t think he would ever get that close. He had just refused to back down and he had seen the way Arthur had looked at him after every attempt on his life. It had somehow been gaining Arthur’s respect each time he fought back and refused to be subdued.

But seeing him slumped on the floor like that, knowing he had been the one to almost take his life made Merlin feel sick. He had sworn the day they had locked the collar around his neck that he was not going to be broken. By almost killing Arthur, that was destroying him more than anything the prince could do. Merlin managed to stumble to one side of the room, reaching for one of the buckets that had been used to fill the tub before he lost the contents of his stomach.

His body had almost dried off by itself and the warlock reached for his trousers, wincing as they brushed against damp skin but determined to get dressed before running for the door, still attempting to wriggle into his shirt. Yanking it open, he made it two steps into the corridor before someone caught his arm.

“Just where do you think you are going?”

Three guards had been standing outside of Arthur’s door, and they only had to glance at the look on Merlin’s face to know he shouldn’t have been out of the room.

“To get the physician, the prince is sick,” Merlin gasped, hoping it would be enough for them to let him go. They exchanged looks before the grip on his arm tightened and Merlin found himself hauled back into the room. The one who had spoken before swore at seeing Arthur lying on the floor and instantly sent one man running. The other maintained his grip on Merlin’s arm.

The first crouched down, glancing between the bath and Arthur’s wet hair. He then slowly turned to look back at Merlin.

“You did this,” he said, his voice deadly quiet. Merlin shook his head wildly, but he didn’t know how he could hide his guilt. It was true; he had done this. But he also knew admitting it would be signing his own death sentence.

“You tried to drown our prince,” the guard approached slowly. Merlin tried to pull away, but the one holding him grabbed his other arm, pulling them back until they were pinned behind his back and holding him fast. Merlin struggled in the grip, fear taking its place again. Unless Gaius arrived quickly, he didn’t know what would happen to him.

“Admit it.”

“I didn’t!”

“Liar!” The man drew back his fist. Merlin knew what was coming and tried to squirm, but could only drop to his knees, coughing as he was punched firmly in the stomach. The guard holding him let him drop but kept hold of his wrists, bending Merlin’s arms up awkwardly behind his back and causing him to yell out as the strain hit his shoulders. The guard seized a fistful of his hair, yanking his head up.

“We should take you straight to the king for that.”

“No, please!” Merlin didn’t care that he sounded like he was begging. He had fought to revive Arthur – and succeeded – as well as going to get help. Didn’t they realise he hadn’t meant to do it? But he knew Uther wouldn’t care. Why should he when a slave had actually managed to stop his son from breathing.

“I didn’t mean it, I-,”

His protests were cut off, this time with a blow to his face. Merlin went reeling back and the guard let go of him, causing him to slump against the floor. He tried curling up but a foot to his ribs flipped him to his back again. Merlin didn’t know how many times he was kicked or struck, but just as he thought he would be killed curled up in a heap on the floor, a voice cut through to the men.

“Enough,” Gaius snapped. Merlin peered up at him, aware that one eye was swelling shut and realised the old physician looked threatening as he stood over them, a glare on the face. The guards all seemed to respect him enough that they backed off.

“He tried to kill the prince,” one muttered. Merlin mutely shook his head, not knowing if Gaius was even looking at him anymore.

“So rather than trying to aid him you beat a defenceless slave?” The disapproval was clear and Gaius didn’t spare the men another look as he moved across to Arthur. With one command, he had the men lift the unconscious prince onto the bed and began examining him. Merlin didn’t dare move, not wanting to know what Gaius was going to say when he had finished. The guards had stopped striking him, but the one who had held him fast initially once again drew his hands behind his back and tied them there with a thin rope. It was too tight and instantly chaffed against the shackles, causing Merlin to wince. Realising he couldn’t see what was going on, Merlin struggled into a kneeling position.

He almost toppled over more than once but made it until he was kneeling upright just in time to see Gaius step back from the bed and declare that Arthur was going to be just fine with a little rest. To Merlin’s amazement, he fixed the guards with a stern look and told them treatments might start changing if they breathed a word of what had happened here. The men all turned on their heel and practically fled, one pausing long enough to shove Merlin back over.

As the door slammed behind them, Merlin curled up tighter.

“I didn’t mean it,” he whimpered, wondering if he just stayed down here long enough, people would forget that he existed. Gaius wasn’t giving him that choice. The old man crossed the room and huffed as he dropped down to his knees, making short work of untying the warlock and beginning to examine his bruises. “He was too close though, I couldn’t…”

It was only now he truly understood why he had done it. This time, it hadn’t been about getting away from Arthur – he had been naked in a bath, where was he going to go? It was because he had felt vulnerable and that feeling had only intensified when Arthur had begun to help him. He hadn’t known what to do and didn’t want Arthur to witness that fear – so he had lashed out.

“You effectively killed him, Merlin,” there was the same stern note in Gaius’ voice when he spoke to Merlin that there had been when he had addressed the men. “But you also brought him back and that speaks more than anything you can say right now. I know he stopped breathing, I can tell those sorts of things. I know it had to be you, the guards wouldn’t have known how to help. You aren’t the type of man to let another die.”

Merlin shakily shook his head, only to hold still as Gaius took a look at his eye. But when the old man was done, he took Merlin by the chin and forced him to look into his eyes.

“Are you going to try again?” he said, his tone making it clear he would be forced to take action if Merlin admitted to still wanting the prince dead. Merlin glanced over Gaius’ shoulder, looking towards the bed where he could just about see Arthur lying there. The prince was breathing softly and evenly and Merlin sighed, shaking his head.

“He’s been good to me,” he whispered, needing to admit it to someone. “I’ve attacked him nearly every day and he won’t even use the cuffs apart from at night. I don’t understand.”

“He’s not his father, Merlin,” Gaius said gently, clearly knowing what Merlin was trying to say. Merlin had seen what Uther did to sorcerers, he had seen what the king had wanted to do to him. The man had practically given Arthur an order to bed him as soon as he could.

And yet Arthur had just tried to help. Merlin knew he had been the reason why he now had a friend in Gwen. He simply didn’t understand. Arthur might not have realised, but Merlin had felt the prince’s eyes linger when he had got into the bath. Arthur wasn’t repulsed by him and yet wasn’t doing what was expected of him.

“But… I can’t just stay here,” Merlin muttered. He couldn’t stop fighting to get away when the alternative meant keeping a collar around his neck and his magic suppressed. But he knew Gaius would again understand him. He couldn’t stay; but he couldn’t hurt Arthur either, it wasn’t right.

The old man stood up with a wince, pressing a balm into Merlin’s hand.

“Make sure he drinks plenty when he awakens and use that on your bruises and it will help them fade quicker. And if I were you, my boy, I’d start trying to think of alternative ways out than killing the prince. Give him a chance; he’s a good man.”

Gaius let himself out before Merlin could think of an answer. On shaky legs, Merlin found himself standing and moving to lock the door. Not to keep him in this time, but to make sure the guards stayed out. He didn’t trust them not to come for retaliation. Then he picked up the rope used to bind him and threw it in the fire, watching it burn.

Gaius was right; he had to think of another way out. The trouble was, he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

MMM

Arthur coughing harshly was the first sign Merlin received that the prince was waking up. He knelt up further from where he was sitting by the bed and pressed a cup against Arthur’s lips. To start with, the prince tried to jerk his head away before seeming to realise he was being offered a drink. After that, Merlin had to make sure he pulled the cup away and controlled the trickle entering Arthur’s mouth so he didn’t accidentally drown him again.

The fluid helped the coughing and Arthur shifted a few moments before his eyes began to open. Merlin quickly put the cup down and dropped back so that he was sitting on his haunches, eyes on the floor. He didn’t want to do anything that would push Arthur over the edge and have him call for the guards. Merlin knew only too well what they would do to him if they had the chance.

“Wha’ you doin’ down there?” Arthur rasped and Merlin flinched at hearing how hoarse he sounded. Even when Merlin had tried strangling him, Arthur hadn’t shown any signs of feeling it. Now, it was clear in his voice just how close Merlin had come to actually killing him and a new wave of shame washed through him. What would his mother say or think if she could see the sort of man her son was becoming?

Merlin didn’t answer, he just let his eyes flicker up to meet Arthur’s gaze. The guilt increased tenfold and he couldn’t hold it, immediately looking back down again. Arthur tried to sit up and it was the weakness of his movements that seemed to remind the prince precisely what had happened. He managed it after a while, but was panting again by the time he was resting back on the pillows.

“You drowned me.” He stated and Merlin could feel the gaze resting on him. He shrugged. He might be feeling guilty but that didn’t mean he was going to apologise to Arthur for what he had done. The prince knew full well how hard Merlin would fight to get away and if he knew Merlin regretted what he had done, then he might believe his slave was losing resistance. Merlin would die before he let Arthur believe he was submitting.

“I also revived you,” Merlin muttered, trying to make it sound like he didn’t care. He was surprised that Arthur couldn’t hear how hard his heart was thudding from where he was. The feeling of Arthur’s burning stare was too much and Merlin eventually glanced up. Instead of looking angry, Arthur looked confused.

“Why?”

“Why did I drown you? I thought that would have been obvious even for a prat like you…”

“No, I know why you did that and I must admit I’m impressed how you got the angle right so I had no strength behind me.” Merlin could only stare at him. Did Arthur not realise Merlin didn’t have a clue what he was doing? That he never had done; the only way he had got close to making any sort of impact on Arthur was when the prince hadn’t been on his guard.

“I want to know why you revived me.”

Merlin stared. He didn’t know how to answer. He couldn’t lie and say he didn’t mean to; his actions spoke louder than his words and the fact that Arthur was sitting here talking to him meant Arthur knew he was alive because of his slave. What puzzled Merlin the most is that he didn’t seem to mind he had also almost died because of the same person.

“I’m waiting, Merlin.”

There was a look on Arthur’s face that meant Merlin knew he had to answer. He sunk into himself, playing with the cuffs around his wrists as a way of avoiding eye contact again. He wasn’t sure he could hold Arthur’s stare yet and it made him feel weak to always be the first one to glance away. Eventually, he sighed.

“You didn’t deserve to die like that,” he mumbled, not being sure if Arthur was even going to hear him. Luckily, Arthur didn’t ask him to repeat it and Merlin just stared at the floor.

“Do you really mean that?” Arthur asked softly, almost as if he had heard what Merlin had said but he just didn’t believe it. Merlin mutely nodded, staring at the floor.

“Merlin,” that ordering note was back in Arthur’s voice, “look at me.”

Slowly, fighting back tears, Merlin lifted his head.

“Thank you.”

“I almost killed you!”

“I would have done the same thing if I was in your situation. If I hadn’t already broken and submitted, that is. But you’re certainly a stronger man than I am for I wouldn’t have stopped to bring the other man back to life again.”

“But it didn’t get me anywhere,” Merlin muttered, not being sure if that was the sort of thing he should be admitting to Arthur or not. But there was something about the way the prince was handling this that made him feel it was safe to say what was truly on his mind. After all, if Arthur wasn’t about to have him killed, flogged or even beaten for actually succeeding in killing him – even if it was only for a few moments – then surely there was nothing that Merlin could say that would make him react?

Arthur didn’t respond this time, he just swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Alarmed, Merlin scrambled upright before he realised what he was doing.

“Gaius said you had to rest,” he protested. Part of him wanted to push the prince back into bed, but the stronger part of him didn’t dare overstep his boundaries that much. Arthur just gave him a simple look and Merlin had to fight to keep the smile of his face. The look on Arthur’s face had said it all; he didn’t care what Gaius had said, he was not going to lie still when there were other things to do. For the first time ever, Merlin found himself understanding Arthur. He felt the same way.

He backed off a little, wanting to give Arthur some space, especially considering the prince was clearly struggling to stay upright. Instead, Merlin crossed the room and quickly picked up some fresh clothes for his master and laid them out on the bed while Arthur steadied himself. The man took one look towards the change of clothes and sighed.

“You’re going to have to help me,” he murmured, sounding apologetic.

“Me?” Merlin spluttered. “I don’t know what I’m doing, what if I try and stab you with your own belt buckle or something? Surely you need to call a servant…”

“That’s what you are, isn’t it?” Arthur took a step towards him, his voice softening. “I told you I had fired my servant on the day you arrived. I can’t free you – don’t ask why not, it’s far more complicated than you are ready to know and the consequences will be far greater than just you or me. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay as a slave. I can make you my manservant if I have your word that you won’t try and kill me. I can brush it off as my slave – I understand that. But I won’t forgive you if I give you this position and you use it against me, do you understand?”

Merlin stared at him. He had sworn he wouldn’t give up and wouldn’t stop fighting against his situation. But Arthur was offering him… well, Merlin wasn’t sure what he was being offered. It was like a helping hand – not out of his captivity, but out of his current situation.

“Once the staff know you are a servant, they have to treat you with the respect of one,” Arthur continued. Merlin thought of the way the guards had closed in on him without a thought, the way Lord Edward had grabbed him when it had been obvious he wouldn’t dare touch Gwen even if she was scared of him. If he didn’t fear moving around so much, it would be much better to plan an escape. Not to mention he had just learnt he wouldn’t be able to go through Arthur in order to escape, the guilt would eat him alive.

“What do you say?”

Merlin slowly looked up and found for the first time he was able to meet Arthur’s gaze. The prince stared steadily back, earnest in his eyes. Merlin knew in that moment Arthur wasn’t lying. He would truly let everything that had happened go if Merlin promised not to do it again. He would be given a proper position, he wouldn’t have everyone looking down on him… Merlin was by no means accepting his situation, but he knew having more freedom was the first step towards going home.

“Yes, Sire,” he whispered, reaching for the clothes. Arthur had gone to pick up the shirt at the same time and for a moment, their fingers brushed against each other as the prince pressed it into his hand.

“I’m not the enemy here, Merlin,” Arthur whispered, a note in his voice that made Merlin realise how desperate Arthur was for him to believe that. Merlin shakily nodded and dropped his gaze to the cloth in his hand. Awkwardly, he stepped forward and helped his master begin to dress.

Merlin did indeed manage to stab Arthur with his belt buckle, but the look on his face had been enough to convince Arthur that it had been a complete accident and that his new servant was just naturally that clumsy. Eventually – with much swearing from Arthur and much cursing in his own head from Merlin – they managed to get the prince dressed. Arthur crashed back onto the bed when they were done and Merlin found himself following suit, sitting on the floor again.

“You’re going to have to get a lot better than that,” Arthur scolded, but there was a faint trace of amusement in his voice rather than the harsh disapproval that Merlin had been expecting. He hid his smile by gazing at the floor.

“Here, I’ve got something for you if you are my new servant,” Arthur muttered after silence had fallen between them for a few moments. Merlin glanced up to see Arthur tossing what looked like a scrap of fabric his way. Merlin shook it out to see it was a new scarf. His had disintegrated within days of rubbing against the collar. He glanced at Arthur, who shrugged and looked away. Understanding dawned on Merlin and shaky hands tied it around his neck. By the time he had fumbled with the knots and got it sitting in position, he knew the collar was no longer visible. He could still it compressing his magic, still keeping him entrapped. But now, no one else could see it. No one could tell at a glance he was a slave and a sorcerer.

Words of gratitude stuck in his throat as he stared up at Arthur, the man he had tried to kill. How had Arthur turned out so different to his father? His life would have been so much easier if he just used Merlin for what he had been given to him for. Merlin could tell Uther wasn’t the sort of man to forgive his son any more than anyone else if he thought he was being mocked.

“Now you can go and find me some food,” Arthur muttered, waving a hand in dismissal. Merlin climbed to his feet and silently moved towards the door without a word of protest. A new plan was beginning to form in his head. If he could just get Arthur to trust him, maybe the prince would accidentally give him enough freedom that he could just run without anyone noticing?

But for now, he just focused on trying to remember his way to the kitchens.


	6. Chapter 6

Things changed after that day. Merlin stayed true to his word and didn’t make another attempt on Arthur’s life. He sensed the prince watching him closely for the first few days, clearly expecting Merlin to lash out again. But Merlin had believed what Arthur had said. The prince had trusted him with his position and he wouldn’t get another chance if he abused it. So he forced his anger to one side. It didn’t leave him completely, but he wouldn’t let himself target it on Arthur. Not when he knew what Gaius had said was true; Arthur was not his father.

Instead, he focused on learning everything he could. He soon got to memorise several routes in the castle, although again he sensed Arthur’s eyes on him when the prince instructed him on certain passages out of the castle that were convenient to make routes quicker for servants. When Arthur had showed him the ones where people could move around unseen, Merlin has asked how he knew this. Arthur was the Prince of Camelot, surely he could walk whatever corridor he wished and it would only take a word on his behalf for people to know to keep their mouths shut.

But Arthur had just given him a long and steady long and gone back to what he had been talking about as if Merlin hadn’t interrupted.

He also learnt about the prince’s duties, how to put Arthur’s armour on and care for his weapons. Merlin told himself deep down he was storing the information away to be able to utilise it all at some point and be able to get out. But he knew that was just to ease his conscious. If he was honest, he would often go days without thinking of escaping.

He was getting used to his life as Arthur’s servant and the days turned into weeks, and before he knew what had happened, two months had passed.

He saw Gwen regularly; she always made sure she kept him company when there was an official banquet. Uther was something they never spoke about. But Arthur had been quick to inform him his services were not required that night. It didn’t escape Merlin’s notice Arthur had a guard he trusted on the door that evening as well. They both knew Uther wouldn’t have forgotten about him yet and seeing him act as Arthur’s servant rather than his slave was not something that would go down well with the king.

While Merlin didn’t want to admit it to himself and would deny it vehemently when Gwen asked, he knew his feelings towards Arthur had changed. Now he was looking back on it, he wasn’t sure he had ever hated the prince, not really. He had loathed his situation and blamed Arthur for keeping him trapped in it. But he wasn’t sure it had ever been hate. Yet now, there was no denying he was fond of the man. There would often be times where one of them would mutter something that would have the other laughing – even if both would brush it off as soon as they met eyes.

He knew it was another reason why he had stopped trying to actively escape. He didn’t want to disappoint Arthur by slipping off in the middle of the night. When he did it, he wanted to do it in a way that would make Arthur proud. He knew even beginning to think like this was going to get him killed, but he couldn’t help it.

“…and then she stamped… Merlin, are you even listening to me?” Gwen seemed to have finally noticed her audience’s attention had wandered and Merlin grinned ruefully.

“You were talking about Sir Oswald?”

“I moved on from him about ten minutes ago.” There was a smile on Gwen’s face as she looked over to him though and Merlin blushed. Arthur had gone hunting with his knights and Gwen had turned up to keep him company. Arthur had said it was to check he was still here, but Merlin had a feeling that it was just to make sure he ate. He still didn’t think he could be blamed for being too nervous to leave Arthur’s rooms the first time the prince had gone for the day. He didn’t trust the guards.

But while he had been sitting on the floor steadily polishing Arthur’s numerous pairs of boots – a task he didn’t actually mind because it allowed his mind to drift – Gwen had been perched on a chair with a basketful of sewing on her lap. She had agreed she would mend Arthur’s clothes for Merlin if in turn he promised to pass greetings between her and Sir Lancelot. The idea there was a forbidden romance happening in the castle gave him hope that survival and escape were indeed still possible.

“You were thinking about Arthur again, weren’t you?”

“I was not!” Merlin denied. He didn’t think it counted that he was just thinking about his situation in general, and given what it was it was only natural that Arthur should crop up in his thoughts now and again. But Gwen seemed to be reading something far too deeply into it. Merlin was just beginning to tolerate his master, he didn’t understand why she always got that smile on her face.

“Fine. So don’t admit it, I know you better than that. Talking of which, hand me your scarf, would you, Merlin?”

“What?” Merlin’s hand involuntarily rose to the fabric around his neck. He never took it off, knowing what security it offered him.

“Because it is frayed and going to fall apart unless you let me darn it a little for you.”

“It’s fine.”

“Merlin,” Gwen slithered to the floor next to him, reaching out a hand and placing it over his. “It’s alright. I’m just going to patch it up for you. There is nothing you need to hide from me, you know that. I’ll have a word with My Lady and see if she can bribe Arthur into getting you some more.”

“I can’t.”

“I won’t be a moment,” Gwen’s voice was soft and kind and there was nothing Merlin could do as her hands reached up and made short work of untying the knot holding the scarf in place. He shivered as she pulled it away, but not just because of the loss of warmth. His hand stayed where it was, hovering over his neck. Unblinking, he watched as Gwen swiftly began to stitch up a few places where it had chaffed against the collar and begun to wear a little thin. But as he watched, his hand gradually closed the gap and before he knew what he was doing, he had touched the collar.

He could feel that he was trembling and as he tried to suck in a breath, it sounded shaky. He could feel tears pricking in his eyes and knew that he was seconds away from breaking down. The stupid thing was, he didn’t know why. Gwen had become his friend when the collar had still been on show for the rest of the world, and all she was trying to do was make sure the scarf lasted him so that others didn’t have to see the collar if they didn’t want to. He tried to reach out a hand towards her, to draw her attention, but it was like he couldn’t stop touching the collar.

“Give it back.” Even to his own ears, his voice didn’t sound like himself.

“I won’t be a second…”

“Give it back!” A yell escaped him this time and Merlin lunged forward, snatching the material from her hand. He felt angry that she had taken it; it was his safety net and he had said no. But the look on her face was enough to convince him that was unfair. Gwen looked genuinely afraid of what he might do and Merlin knew there had to be an alarmed look to his face. Tears were streaming unchecked from his eyes as he gave into his emotions, yet he deftly tied the fabric back in place.

The door opened.

“Is everything alright in here?” Leon was a good man. Merlin knew he was close to Arthur, not just as a knight but as a friend. Merlin stared at him. Would Leon blame Merlin for the fact he had been left here while the rest of the knights and his friends went on a hunt?

“It’s fine,” Merlin murmured, quick to reassure the knight he wasn’t about to do anything rash. Leon had always watched him with a guarded expression, as if he had been trying to work out how Merlin had managed to drown the prince. Merlin knew the look was for a good reason but he felt as if Leon could see into his soul and it was unnerving. Gaius seemed to be able to do the same thing; as if they both knew Merlin was only biding his time and pretending to grow used to life here.

“Gwen?”

For some reason, anger flared into life. Merlin had said that it was fine, yet Leon still had to check with Gwen. He clearly didn’t believe what a slave would have to say. At the back of his mind, Merlin knew it wasn’t like that. Gwen still looked troubled and Leon clearly wanted to make sure she was unhurt after hearing Merlin yelling. Even as Gwen forced a smile onto her face, Merlin leapt to his feet. The room suddenly seemed too small, the collar around his neck too heavy. He had to get away from here.

Merlin wasn’t thinking about escaping, he just wanted breathing space. He scrambled for the door. Naturally, Leon made to block him but Merlin let his anger carry him forward, ramming a bony shoulder into the knight and causing him to fall back in surprise.

“Merlin!”

Gwen’s cry followed him down the corridor as Merlin ran. He didn’t know where he was going, but found that he didn’t care. It didn’t matter what Arthur said, he would still only ever be a slave here. A piece of fabric tied around his neck was not going to change that. Tears still blinded him yet it had been weeks since he had last shed a tear for his fate. Even then, it had been after a nightmare. Arthur had simply lit a candle and stared at him for a long moment before releasing the order that kept Merlin still in the night. Then the man had rolled over and gone back to sleep, allowing Merlin to slip closer to the fire. He hadn’t even thought of what else he could do as he tried to warm himself.

Eventually, his run turned to a walk and he finally stopped, leaning against the wall. As he thought again about the nightmare, Merlin realised what had made him react. He had felt safe and at ease and while he was there with Gwen, he didn’t even want to escape.

That made him angry he would give in after just a couple of months.

Hearing a door banging open, Merlin wiped his eyes with his sleeve and tried to pull himself together. He made to move off, eyes on the ground, when a pair of boots entered his vision. The owner had deliberately stepped in his path and Merlin slowly looked up. Only to blanch immediately when he saw it was one of the guards who had beaten him after Arthur’s drowning. There was an ugly look on his face and Merlin didn’t need to glance around to know there was no one to help him.

“Well well, if I haven’t found myself a little cocksucker.”

Before Merlin could utter a word, his arm had been grabbed in a fierce grip and the guard was hauling him through the door. Merlin tried struggling, but the guard simply punched him and yanked him through, slamming the door shut behind them. He threw Merlin to the ground.

“No physician to save you this time, _slave._ ”

MMM

Arthur had enjoyed the hunt. It had felt like a long time since he had been able to get out and the fast approaching winter would mean there wouldn’t be many more chances until the cold weather hit. It felt good to get out of the castle and his stuffy rooms and let the wind whip through his hair and sting his cheeks. If he was honest, it just felt nice to be away from the presence of his father. He could forget about everything for a while.

He even managed to not think about Merlin. He knew that was an improvement as he dismounted and handed his reins to a waiting groom. The first time he had left the castle, he spent the whole time wondering if Merlin would have found a way out by the time he got back. He had seen how closely Merlin had paid attention to passageways and any chores that gave him the chance to get away. Arthur would have been hurt if he hadn’t known that was exactly how he would have reacted as well.

But this time, his servant had only entered his mind now that he was home and he knew that was a sign of improvement. Now the younger man had stopped trying to kill him (or pretending too, now Arthur knew he had never intended to actually do it), the prince was finding he was beginning to trust the man. He wasn’t sure why; he still had no idea how Merlin would react to certain situations and until he became predictable, Arthur knew he should withhold his trust. But there was just something about him that made Arthur want to care. Maybe because it was partly his fault that Merlin was enslaved; if he hadn’t challenged his father so obviously before Merlin arrived, Uther wouldn’t have felt the need to “gift” his son. It had been a challenge, Arthur knew that.

“See she is bedded down well,” Arthur told the groom, nodding to his men and striding back into the castle. His head felt clearer than it had done in weeks and he was quite looking forward to a hot bath and being able to relax the rest of the day away before duties beckoned to him again. The castle seemed chilly after the afternoon sun and Arthur found his pace was quickened as he hurried towards his rooms.

As soon as he entered the corridor, he knew something was wrong. After all, why else would Morgana be in his doorway, gesturing for a few guards to be on their way.

“What’s going on?”

His voice echoed before him but the guards were still walking away. Morgana motioned for him to come closer.

“We can’t find Merlin.”

“He’s escaped?”

“More like he’s hidden.” In clipped tones, Morgana summed up what seemed to have happened before. Glancing into his room, he saw a pale looking Gwen perched on a chair. She jumped up when she saw Arthur, but he gestured for her to sit back down. Ignoring Morgana, he moved across to her.

“You tell me what happened. Exactly.” He knew if he was going to be able to figure out where Merlin had gone, he needed Gwen’s version; he needed to know precisely how Merlin had reacted.

He was swearing inside his own head by the time Gwen was finished. Merlin had acted spontaneously; something had clearly just tipped him over the edge. But it didn’t help Arthur find him.

“I swear I didn’t mean to upset him, My Lord, I just wanted to help…”

“It’s not your fault, Gwen,” Arthur said softly, motioning for Morgana to take her maid back to her own rooms before unwanted attention was drawn. “I’ll find him, I promise.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Arthur knew he had to stay true to his word. The look Morgana was giving him promised him hell if he didn’t keep that promise. She draped her arm around Gwen and led her away even as Leon returned. He balked at seeing Arthur, but the prince spoke first.

“You can accompany me,” he muttered, trying to make it obvious that he wasn’t angry. No one was able to figure out Merlin.

Arthur led the way down some of the routes he had shown his servant, wondering if Merlin had taken this chance to run. But the secret passages out of the castle were still locked and Arthur knew there was no way of doing that from inside them. Merlin was still in the castle. The search seemed fruitlessly as they roamed the corridors in silence. That was one of the things he liked about Leon; the man didn’t feel the need to share everything he was thinking and Arthur found it gave him space to think. If he was Merlin, upset and alone, where would he run too?

Just as he thought to check the kitchens – despite believing they had already been checked – a noise drew his attention. He held up his hand for Leon to stop, and as the knight stopped moving, it came again. A crash.

Arthur turned slowly, trying to locate it. The corridor was a line of shut doors and he moved slowly. Finally, he reached one as a crash sounded again and he knew it was the right one. It sounded as if a violent fight was going on within. He might have been trying to find Merlin, but Arthur knew it was his duty to make sure everyone living in the castle were safe, and to punish those who disturbed that peace accordingly. He glanced at Leon, who nodded, his hand already on his sword. Frustrated over losing Merlin, Arthur didn’t bother knocking.

Instead, he just kicked the door in. It gave on a second kick and he stepped in, only for his eyes to go wide.

This was the last place he had expected to find Merlin and Arthur instantly snarled, drawing his sword.

Merlin’s wrists were tied above his head to a bedpost by thin twine; strong yet tight. Arthur could see how it was viciously cutting into his wrists. There was a harsh gag in his mouth, again too tight and making him splutter. His breeches were down by his knees and one shoe was off, yet he was still fighting with everything he had. A guard was in the room, one Arthur didn’t know by name. He too had his laces undone and Arthur felt a grim satisfaction at seeing he had multiple small cuts on him, some looking like Merlin had bitten him.

He was half against the bed, pinning a previously kicking leg down while trying to force Merlin to loose his balance. Merlin was trying, but it was clear he was terrified and on the exhausted side now from where he had been fighting for so long and so fiercely. If Arthur had thought he felt the need to protect him before, it was nothing compared to now at seeing just how hard Merlin would fight for himself.

His sword stretched out, almost of its own accord, and rested against the guard’s neck.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Arthur’s voice was deadly quiet and the guard froze. It was enough for Merlin to yank his pinned leg free and to knee the man in the crotch as hard as he could. Arthur deliberately didn’t move his sword quickly enough as the man crumbled and it drew a thin layer of blood.

“He’s just a slave!”

“He’s _my_ slave,” Arthur snarled, grabbing the man by the hair and wrenching his head back. “And if you dream of touching him, or anyone else, again, you’ll be dead before you can put that thought into action.”

He would have happily murdered the man right there and then, but Leon touched him gently on the shoulder.

“He can’t breathe,” he said softly. For a wild moment, Arthur thought he meant the guard and wondered why Leon cared. Then he heard Merlin’s desperate pants.

“Get him out of my sight,” Arthur spat. He knew the type of man Leon was, and knew his friend wouldn’t go easy on the guard. Indeed, Leon simply hauled him out by the scruff of his shirt, not even letting him fasten his laces. Arthur quickly used his sword to cut through the twine holding Merlin, dropping the weapon as Merlin collapsed. Arthur moved just quickly enough to catch him, lowering him both to the floor before fumbling with the gag and yanking it away.

Merlin immediately started coughing, trying to regain his breath while the terror took hold of him and he panted through sobs.

“I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t…I never…” He gasped. Arthur didn’t even realise the man was in his arms as he rubbed Merlin’s back soothingly.

“It’s alright, deep breaths. I know you haven’t.” He knew Merlin was a virgin, his father wouldn’t have given him anything less. Considering Arthur had yet to touch him, it was no wonder Merlin was terrified. He had finally let down his defences and believed Arthur wasn’t about to force him and then that had happened.

“He said…”

“Merlin, listen to me,” Arthur’s voice was firm and he took hold of Merlin’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t here to stop him this time. But I swear to you anyone that even thinks about laying a hand on you will have me to answer to. Do you understand?”

Fresh tears spilled over from Merlin’s eyes and he seemed incapable of answering. He was still struggling to breathe properly and Arthur could feel from how cold he was that he was going into shock. He didn’t press for an answer, knowing now was not the time. Instead, he made to move.

“I’ll get Gaius.”

But he couldn’t stand. It was only then that Arthur realised Merlin had fisted a hand into his shirt and was holding on with a grip that Arthur knew he couldn’t break.

“Don’t leave me,” Merlin whispered, his voice trembling violently. There was nothing Arthur could do other than move them back to lean against the bed. Gentle hands helped Merlin pull his trousers up and then Arthur simply held him close. Merlin buried his face in Arthur’s chest, shaking.

Arthur couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening.

This was the man who had tried – and succeeded – to kill him for days on end. This was the prisoner who looked for every escape he could, who hated Arthur. Yet right now, he was clinging on as if Arthur was the only thing that was keeping him anchored, trusting the prince to keep him safe even though Arthur had the right to do whatever he wanted to him.

As they sat there, Arthur became aware of Merlin’s breathing gradually beginning to even out. He didn’t notice what was happening until it was too late; Merlin had fallen asleep curled up in his arms. Realising just how much Merlin trusted him in that moment to protect him, Arthur just gathered him closer and tried to keep him warm. He knew he had to get Merlin back to his chambers, it was the only place that was safe. But for the time being, Arthur was content to let him rest while he was trying to gather his thoughts.

He didn’t like where they were taking him.

He had told the guard that Merlin was his slave, hence why he wouldn’t permit anyone touching him. It was the only thing he could have said without sounding weak; a reputation was a powerful tool for a leader. But that wasn’t why. He wanted to keep Merlin safe because, somehow, despite everything, Merlin had ended up being his friend. Arthur found that right now, sheltering the terrified man from the world in his arms, Arthur hated the thought of anyone being able to get close enough to hurt Merlin.

He just didn’t know what it meant for him as a prince to be thinking like that.


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur paused from where he was reading through a document. He found himself glancing over to the heap in the corner, biting his lip in indecision. Gaius had said that sleep was the best thing for Merlin, but Arthur wasn’t so sure. The young man hadn’t moved since the physician had helped him to settle in his blankets.

It had taken some time before Arthur had been able to get Merlin back to his rooms. He knew theoretically he could have just picked him up while Merlin was still asleep and carried him back; he knew enough of the corridors that he was almost certain he could get back without being seen. But it was the almost part that had him waiting for an hour, waiting until he was sure Merlin would be able to stand before gently shaking him awake.

He knew if they were seen by the wrong person, all hell would be let lose. For too long now Arthur had managed to pass himself off as not exactly a perfect son, but a dutiful and loyal one at least. He couldn’t let this one chance incident undo everything he had been working for. Deep down, however, Arthur knew that wasn’t the only reason why he didn’t want to move. Merlin would take the blame far more than him if they were seen and Arthur wasn’t sure he could stand for that. He might not know how he was feeling right now, but he did know that Merlin had been gifted to him and therefore it was his responsibility to make sure he was protected, even if it was from his own men.

While he had expected it, Arthur had still felt something in him sigh in unhappiness when Merlin woke and instantly recoiled. Lucidity made him think about the situation they were in and he scrambled back from Arthur as if the prince’s touch had burned him. Arthur let him; he knew Merlin hadn’t been thinking clearly when he had turned to Arthur for safety. He just held onto the idea that in his sub-consciousness, Merlin knew Arthur would keep him safe. Why else would he have turned to him when he was terrified?

It had taken some persuasion before Arthur had been able to convince Merlin to leave. It was only afterwards he understood why Merlin had been watching him so guardedly. The cuffs around his wrists meant his location had to be wherever Arthur wished it. But it had taken half an hour of pleading and mock threats before they had left. It hadn’t even crossed Arthur’s mind that he could have made it easier on himself by just ordering Merlin back to his own rooms.

If he was honest, he had forgotten his servant was wearing them. This felt like a blow, a reminder that Merlin wasn’t technically his servant, but his slave. One that Arthur was allowed to do whatever he liked to and there would be no one to pull him off.

For the first time since he had seen Merlin tied up in his room, Arthur understood where Merlin’s terror was coming from. It wasn’t so much what might happen to him, it was more that no one would stop Arthur, no one would tell him that he wasn’t allowed.

Once they had made it back, however, Arthur had been quick to send Leon to Gaius. Merlin was bleeding from a few small cuts and still was shivering. The fact they had still been fighting so fiercely at least meant Arthur didn’t need to humiliate Merlin further by asking if he needed anything for other injuries. Gaius had banished Arthur from the room, only letting him back an hour later. He didn’t apologise, but his expression had softened. Arthur understood; in his anger over Merlin’s injuries and situation, the physician had momentarily thought that Arthur had been the one to cause them.

“You ought to eat something,” Arthur said softly, turning back to his reports as he did so. He didn’t want Merlin seeing the concerned expression on his face. Arthur knew he was exposing too many emotions to the man anyway. Merlin was a prisoner; he couldn’t be trusted. At least, that was what Arthur was telling himself. He knew it was just an excuse though, just his reason for not going over there and seeing if Merlin would accept his comfort again. Merlin didn’t verbally answer, he just shifted in his blankets and didn’t react.

Sighing, Arthur turned back to work. He had been trying all afternoon to get Merlin to insult him. Morgana and Gwen had stopped by, the latter tearful and the former furious when she heard what happened. Merlin wouldn’t even come out for them though and Arthur had seen the concern in their expressions when they had left, promising – loudly enough for Merlin to hear – that they would be back the next day in order to make sure he was alright. Hearing Merlin sniffing, Arthur had decided he couldn’t just stand around any longer. He had cancelled a training session with the knights and claimed he had paperwork to catch up on. That was true to an extent, but he just didn’t want to leave Merlin alone.

He wasn’t entirely sure what would happen if he did.

Arthur worked steadily as the evening wore on, getting more done than he had done for days. Eventually though, the fire died down from where he had forgotten to stoke it and Merlin hadn’t moved in order to do so. It was one of his duties as Arthur’s servant, but the prince didn’t have the heart to call him up on it. If he thought it would snap Merlin out of his stupor, then that would have been different. But he wasn’t even sure Merlin was awake.

Finding he didn’t have the stomach for food, not after the events of the day, Arthur decided to just turn in. Merlin still wasn’t moving, not even when Arthur changed and finally plunged the room into darkness. As he lay in his bed, he could hear the sound of Merlin breathing softly, something he had never noticed before. To his surprise, Arthur found the sound comforting. It was like a reminder that he wasn’t in this alone anymore, there was someone else to help him.

It was to that thought the prince fell asleep.

But he wasn’t allowed to sleep long. A few hours passed at most, for the moon was high in the sky and creating dancing patterns on the floor from where Arthur had forgotten to draw the drapes. As he blinked sleep from his eyes and stared up at his canopy, Arthur found himself trying to work out what had woken him. The room seemed quiet. But just as his eyes began to flicker again, he heard it.

A muffled sob, followed by a harsh pant. Reaching out of the bed, Arthur clumsily lit a candle and peered in the direction of his servant. Merlin didn’t seem to be awake, not considering there was utterly no reaction at all to the sudden light in the room. He was having a nightmare. Wondering what the best thing to do was, Arthur simply lay there for a moment. But when Merlin cried out again, louder this time, he knew he had to do something. Slipping from the bed and wincing at the cold floor, he crossed the room and crouched down next to Merlin. Hesitating for only a second, he gently put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.

“Wake up,” he instructed softly, making sure his voice was gentle. “Merlin, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

It took a moment of gentle coaxing, but Merlin’s eyes eventually flew open. He gasped, grabbing the blankets and yanking them up as he scurried back into the corner, his back pressed against the stone work and his eyes wide.

“It’s me,” Arthur quickly backed off, holding out his hands so Merlin knew he meant him no harm. Merlin seemed to remember to breathe again when Arthur spoke, but he didn’t loosen his death grip on the blankets.

“Arthur?”

“You were having a bad dream,” Arthur explained, watching the man carefully. “Was it about earlier?”

Merlin shook his head, his hand coming up to touch his neck. Arthur wasn’t sure he was even aware of the action, but it told the prince everything. Merlin had been dreaming about something earlier on in his slavery, before he was gifted to Arthur. The prince had never asked how he had been caught, but he had to wonder. If Merlin was as powerful as his father had hinted, then how had they kept him still long enough to get the collar around his neck?

“Well,” not knowing what else to do, Arthur straightened up. “Try and get some more sleep.”

He moved towards the bed, his hand reaching out to touch the covers. He heard Merlin sniffing as he tried to make himself comfortable. Thinking about what Gaius had said earlier about Merlin needing to be kept warm, Arthur swore.

“For God’s sake, come on then,” he muttered, yanking back his covers.

“W-what?”

“You’re going to freeze down there and you’re hardly going to be able to go back to sleep on the floor after a nightmare.”

“Are you saying-?”

“Yes, Merlin, hurry up and get into this bed before I change my mind.” Arthur heard an intake of breath and suddenly realised what Merlin must be thinking. He sank onto the edge of the bed, resting his head in his hands. He was so tired of feeling guilty when he was trying to keep Merlin as safe as possible. What did it take for the man to trust him?

“Merlin, I swear upon my honour as the First Knight of Camelot and as the Crown Prince I will not touch you. But I can’t sleep with you sniffling away like that and Gaius specifically said you need to be kept warm. It’s your choice but I’m going back to sleep. Blow out the candle when you decide.”

Arthur got into bed, rolled to one side and lay staring at the wall, listening hard. For a moment, he thought Merlin was going to stay on the floor as he heard a rustle of the blankets. But when soft footsteps pattered on the floor, he realised Merlin had just been untangling himself. The bed dipped under another’s weight and Arthur felt the blankets being tugged into place. There was a soft exclamation of surprise and Arthur grinned. It was clear Merlin had never felt something so comfortable.

The prince didn’t say anything, he didn’t dare. But when Merlin blew out the candle, he allowed his grin to soften into a smile. Merlin’s breathing was closer this time – naturally – and Arthur felt a connection with him, lying there in the dark, that he had never felt with another before. Just as he was beginning to drift off to sleep, Merlin spoke.

“Arthur?”

“Mmm?”

“Thank you.”

The words were nothing more than a whisper and it sounded as if Merlin couldn’t believe he was actually saying them. But Arthur settled further into the blankets, knowing that Merlin would still be in the bed by the time morning broke. Maybe if he actually got a good night sleep for once, he would relax. It was obvious he had been settling over the last month or so, but there was still a haunted look in his eyes. Arthur wanted that look gone and he wasn’t entirely sure why.

“Get some sleep,” Arthur murmured in response, feeling Merlin trying to get comfortable. Shaking his head in something that worryingly resembled fondness, Arthur slipped a hand under his pillow, pulled it into a more comfortable position and let sleep claim him. Why did it not surprise him that Merlin was a wriggler?

Still, even with someone else balanced precariously on the edge of the bed, Arthur found the sleep he sunk into was the deepest one he had had for a while. He felt as if he had finally done something right.

MMM

Merlin interlocked his fingers and stared down at them, trying to stop his thoughts from taking him down routes that he didn’t want to be travelling. If anything, he didn’t want to be thinking at all. It was too painful, and right now it was too confusing.

To start with, there was still the coil of terror that had emerged when the guard had dragged him in. He had honestly thought everything he had been fighting against would have been lost in that moment, for there was no one to help him and screaming might have just led to people coming to help the guard rather than him. With a great deal of effort, he once again swallowed the bile and forced himself to focus on how his fingers were twisting together.

But nothing had happened. Thanks to Arthur. The prince was the one who had the right to order Merlin to his bed the second he walked in the door and Merlin would have been helpless to resist, knowing he was there to do as Arthur wanted. But that hadn’t happened. Arthur had turned on one of his own men, and then sat in the middle of the floor with him, promising him that no one was going to touch him again and that he would protect him. Merlin still felt his face heating when he thought about how he had fallen asleep in Arthur’s arms. He knew how exhausting fighting that hard was, but what made him flush was realising he had accepted that Arthur meant safety. He had known it for a while now, weeks in fact. But now Arthur knew that he knew it, for there was no point denying it.

And then the prince had forced him into the bed, but only to sleep so that he could feel better. Letting out a soft groan, Merlin dropped his head until he could thread his twisting fingers through his hair. Gripping on tight, he hoped the sharp pain would be enough to tell him what he was supposed to do. He had never felt so confused.

He had come to see Arthur as something close to a friend for the past few weeks now. Their banter seemed to come easily and smiles were pulled from Merlin more times than he wanted to admit. But last night something had changed. He hadn’t recoiled at the thought of being in the bed with Arthur, trusting the prince when he said nothing would happen.

Arthur might not have done anything, but that didn’t mean nothing had happened.

Merlin had woken up to find he had gravitated towards Arthur in the night, his head threateningly close to resting on the prince’s shoulder and his hand resting between them as if he had wanted to reach out and touch him. It was the first night since being here he had actually slept without being disturbed and the sleepy feeling resting over his limbs when he had woken made him realise how safe he had felt, in the bed of his master.

Needless to say, Merlin had shot up as fast as possible and was properly dressed and working by the time Arthur had stirred.

The prince hadn’t said anything and Merlin knew he hadn’t considered the fact Merlin had been in his bed a big deal. But Merlin did. It meant that Arthur fully trusted him, even after the murder attempts. Admittedly it had been months since Merlin had last tried something, but he didn’t think Arthur would allow him that close when his defences were down. And instead of utilising the moment, finishing the prince off and escaping, Merlin had simply slept deeply and peacefully.

“I need you to go and fetch my crossbow from the armoury and then oil it. The weather might have got to the wood yesterday,” Arthur said casually, not even so much as glancing over from where he was lacing up his boots, preparing to go and do whatever it was the prince did on a day to day basis. Merlin took a deep breath.

“No.”

While he might have still kept some of his defiance over the last few months, despite it not being channelled into attempting to kill Arthur, Merlin had never flatly refused an order. He knew his role as a servant wasn’t that different to that of a slave, he had to do what Arthur told him. But this time, he kept his head down, refused to meet Arthur’s gaze and wouldn’t move.

“Excuse me?”

“No,” Merlin repeated, swallowing awkwardly around the words. He refused to look up, knowing that Arthur would be watching him with an incredulous expression.

“Wrong answer, Merlin, try again.”

“I’m not going out there,” Merlin muttered, staring intently at the blanket. He heard Arthur’s foot scuff against the floor as the prince clearly straightened up. Still, it wasn’t enough to make Merlin look up.

“You won’t go to the armoury?”

“No. I won’t leave this room. Not again.” Merlin didn’t care that he was sounding stubborn. His arms and wrists were bruised from where the guard had forcibly manhandled him, pinning him down while he tied his wrists to the bed. He could still feel his hands groping other places as well despite how hard Merlin had been struggling.

“Merlin…”

“You can’t make me.”

Too late did he realise Arthur could. Risking a quick glance up, he saw Arthur watching him with a pitied expression.

“You can’t hide in here forever.”

“Try me,” Merlin retorted. He finally lowered his hands from his hair and looked up at Arthur properly. “He told me to scream. Told me he was going to fuck me anyway because no one was coming. He said it didn’t matter, that I wasn’t a proper person so it wasn’t even against the law.”

His voice came out steady even though there were tears running down his face. He hadn’t intended on telling Arthur anything, knowing what the prince had walked in on had said it all. But now he was finding that he wanted Arthur to understand, to know how it felt to realise no one would come to help him.

“If he wanted you to scream, why did he gag you?”

“I bit him,” Merlin muttered. Arthur’s expression changed, pity turning to respect. Merlin blinked, not being sure if he was seeing it right. He was still trying to figure it out when he realised that Arthur had crossed from the bed and was sitting next to him on the blankets. Thankfully, he had left enough space between them that Merlin didn’t feel threatened. He refused to think about how if it had been anyone else, he would have lurched backwards.

“Merlin, some people do think like that, I can’t deny it when even my own fa…” Arthur cleared his throat and cut himself off. “But he was wrong. You are more than a person. He was in the wrong and I will see to it that he is punished accordingly. But you can’t let the actions of one man keep you prisoner in here forever.”

“Can’t I? One man decided I should be collared, chained and bound to a prince. There isn’t a lot I can do about that.”

“I’m not…”

“… your father, Arthur, I know. But… urgh!” Merlin ran a hand through his hair in frustration, banging his head back on the wall as he tried to vent himself. “I’m stuck here whether I like it or not. When I was with the king, he had this woman…”

“Nimueh.”

“Yeah, her. She was collared like me, yet she was enjoying it. He forced her and she moaned for it.”

“Nimueh’s been here for as long as I can remember. They have something strange and twisted between them, I’ll admit it. But you know I wouldn’t do that to you…”

“She accepted her position, Arthur. I swore when they locked the collar around my neck I was going to be free again. They beat me for it but I still said it. You’re not your father. But I can’t accept a position as your servant.”

“Why not?”

“Because I _am_ accepting it!” Merlin struggled to control the tears leaking treacherously from the corner of his eyes. “I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that I was a servant, not a slave. But it’s just an illusion, isn’t it? We both know what this collar around my neck means. I’m always going to be your slave, we’ve both just been pretending to stop me fighting it.”

Merlin used the pause in his words and the shocked expression on Arthur’s face to turn away. He wanted to pull the blankets over his head again but Arthur was still sitting on the edge of one and Merlin knew it wouldn’t work. He hadn’t realised how he was feeling until it had all come blurting out of him in such a way. But now the words had crossed his lips, he knew it to be true. He had accepted, and was even enjoying, his role as Arthur’s servant.

He had forgotten to struggle and fight. He had forgotten that he wasn’t free, but a belonging. The guard had reminded him of that.

Right now, Merlin hated himself more than he hated the situation, more than he had ever pretended to hate Arthur.

The prince stood up without a word and Merlin took the opportunity to yank the blanket back over his head. He curled up, shaking with anger at anyone and everything, but most importantly at himself. He had sworn he would return home. It had been his last promise to his mother, that he wouldn’t let himself be used by anyone. Arthur’s kindness meant he had been breaking that promise and right now, Merlin had no idea what to do.

His master didn’t let him mope for long though. Within just a few moments, Arthur was back. He pulled away the blankets. Merlin lunged for them and struggled to hold on, but Arthur just pulled harder, a stern look on his face as he forced them out of Merlin’s reach.

“Get up.”

“I told you I’m not…”

“You are to do as I say, Merlin. On your feet.”

“Why?” Feeling like he had overstepped a line somewhere, Merlin cautiously stood, his hand resting on the wall as a way of grounding himself. He couldn’t read the expression on Arthur’s face and that worried him.

“We’re going out.”

“I told you, I’m not…”

“I am your master, Merlin. Whether I have to drag you out or whether you walk willingly is your choice, but you are to do as I say and I say we are going out.”

“Where?”

“That doesn’t matter. Put this on.” To Merlin’s surprise, Arthur threw him a cloak. It was a worn, pale blue and had clearly seen better days, but it was an instant layer of warmth when Merlin draped it over his shoulders. He watched Arthur carefully, trying to control a blush as Arthur nodded approvingly.

“Better. Now come on.”

“What are we doing?” Merlin’s voice was quiet this time, cautious in a way he didn’t think he had ever been with Arthur. If his attempts at killing him couldn’t get Arthur to snap, then how admitting he felt safe would change things, Merlin didn’t know. He didn’t like not knowing.

“Getting you some fresh air so you stop acting like such a child and start accepting this is your home now. I can’t free you and it will only make things worse if I try. But I also can’t deny you are my responsibility so if I have to force you to look after yourself, then that is what I’m going to do. Now come on.”

With those words, Arthur strode from the room. Staring in shock, Merlin couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over his face as he realised what Arthur had said. He was actually getting to leave the confines of the castle.

Without further ado, he ran after his master.


	8. Chapter 8

The fresh air hit Merlin, forcing a gasp from his lips as he breathed in sharply. He had been allowed outside; some of the routes around the castle were easier if one were to pass through the courtyard. But with the weather having been on the turn, Merlin had found himself taking the longer routes lately. It wasn’t just about avoiding the cold, but having a reason to stay out of Arthur’s rooms for longer. At least, before the attack.

As it washed over him now, he realised how long it had been since he had last ventured outside. Arthur shot him an amused look over his shoulder and Merlin flushed realising the prince had known that; it was why they were out here. Scowling at the back of Arthur’s head instead, Merlin gathered the cloak around himself and practically stepped on the prince’s heels as Arthur led the way down the steps. Their pace was fast – it was as if Arthur wanted to make sure they were out of sight from the castle as fast as possible. Merlin didn’t say anything, but he stored the information away for a later date.

This wasn’t the first time he had witnessed Arthur doing something that was uncharacteristic for a confident and somewhat arrogant prince. There were times where it was as if he was just trying to blend in, as if he was doing everything in his power to make sure his movements weren’t witnessed. Merlin wasn’t a fool, he knew Arthur was up to something. But he also knew better than to ask; why would the prince trust him with something so secretive? This time, however, he knew why Arthur was moving fast. The chances were he wasn’t supposed to take his slave on a walk.

But as they passed out the other side of the courtyard, Merlin swallowed hard. Before he knew what he was doing, he had stepped even closer to Arthur, accidentally catching the end of the man’s cloak and forcing him to stumble. Arthur turned, irritation on his face until he met Merlin’s gaze. The warlock swallowed hard. He could do this. If he ever wanted to be free again, he had to be able to handle moving away from the courtyard. But Arthur’s rooms had been almost a safety net and now he was outside, he was feeling the collar around his neck even more than usual. Surely everyone would know? Everyone would take one look at them and know the only reason he was in Camelot was for their prince to bed whenever he wished. They wouldn’t understand Arthur hadn’t yet touched him.

Merlin had let the anger fill him up for the last few months, using that as his defence against his position. But now he was out in the open, the guards mocking words were ringing in his ears. How he was a nothing, they could do whatever they wanted to him…

“Merlin.”

Arthur’s voice held a note of command, forcing Merlin’s gaze to focus on him. He swallowed hard, blushing in shame at the thoughts running through his head.

“I…”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Merlin stared in surprise at the gentleness to Arthur’s tone. The prince gestured and they moved to a secluded corner. Merlin let against the wall shakily, running a hand through his hair and glancing out at the town they seemed to be approaching.

“Why are we out here?” He asked, hating how close to tears he was sounding.

“You can’t hide in there forever.”

“Why not, you’ve told me you can’t let me go,” there was no anger in Merlin’s tone, just a petulant note as if he was a child being made to do something he didn’t want to. Arthur’s lips twitched into a quick smile before he covered it up.

“And what if I have a craving for something one morning that the kitchen doesn’t have? As my servant it is your duty to fetch it for me, even if from the market.”

“As your servant I’d tell you to get it yourself if you’re going to be picky,” Merlin retorted, his voice nothing more than a mutter as he glanced back out again. If he was honest, he didn’t truly notice what he had said. These sort of quips came easily to him now when he was in Arthur’s presence, it was how he knew he was beginning to consider the prince as some sort of friend. The night in Arthur’s bed had just confirmed that rather than undermined it.

“Merlin,” Arthur’s voice was firm, but Merlin couldn’t tear his eyes away from the vast numbers of people he could see milling around just a few steps away. He had never liked crowds; his home didn’t have enough people living there to ever form one. It just made him feel more confined than ever. But it seemed Arthur wasn’t about to let him panic. When Merlin didn’t react to his call, a hand gently took his chin and tilted his head back to face the prince. Merlin sucked in a sharp breath at the gesture but then found himself locking eyes with his master.

“I am not going to let anything happen to you,” Arthur swore, only honesty reflected in both his tone and his eyes. “But I will also not let what has happened destroy you. You can’t hide, Merlin. You have to stay strong.”

“Why?” Merlin was his slave, he didn’t understand why Arthur was saying this. Arthur shook his head, seeming unable to continue.

“You just have to,” he finished lamely. Merlin dropped his gaze.

“Just…so many people,” he murmured quietly, wondering how to get Arthur to understand how deep his fear was running right now. He wasn’t sure he achieved it when Arthur let go of his chin. But then he jumped violently as Arthur took his hand, looking self-conscious as he did so.

“Then don’t let go,” he said, a flash of a grin spreading across his face before he pulled Merlin out of their corner and into the market. Merlin yelped, stumbling over his own feet before he grasped blindly for Arthur with his free hand, grabbing the prince’s arm and using that to pull himself closer and get his feet back under him properly. He let go promptly, but Arthur had a strong grip on his other hand. Merlin knew he should be self-conscious about it, but he was too busy trying to hide his grin over how safe it was making him feel. He pressed closer to Arthur, using the prince as a way of shielding himself from the masses of people and ignored the way his heart seemed to skip a beat as he did so.

What on earth was going on with him today? Arthur was his master. Admittedly not his captor, but considering they were out here because Merlin had admitted to accepting his position, he didn’t understand why he was feeling fondness towards the prince now more than ever.

“Where are we going?” He gasped, eyes wide with wonder as he stared around. He thought the castle was grand with its tapestries and ornaments. But there was something about the town that was making him realise just how beautiful Camelot had the potential to be. He wasn’t sure he was allowed to admit it considering his position. But there was life and laughter in the market; here were the people of the kingdom and Merlin couldn’t help but think here was the soul.

For the first time since he had been here, he could understand Arthur’s pride and love for his kingdom.

“There’s someone I need to see,” Arthur responded, easily ducking behind a market stall and conveniently hiding them from view as two guards walked past on a casual patrol. As Arthur straightened up again, Merlin stared at him.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve come down here not wanting to be seen. And it’s nothing to do with me so don’t pretend otherwise,” he accused. Arthur glanced at him, his eyes serious.

“Some things you are safer not knowing.”

“Then why bring me along?”

“You’ll see,” the grin was back on Arthur’s face again and it was the only warning Merlin got before to steady himself before they were darting through the masses again. The town was a complete bustle of people and by the time Arthur came to a stop again, Merlin was panting, flushed with laughter at how chaotic it all was. He felt like a small child darting around adults again and as Arthur let go of his hand, Merlin found he was grinning. Arthur looked pleased with himself but Merlin found he didn’t actually care.

“So where are we going?” He asked, repeating his earlier question. But he didn’t just mean it generally now, he wanted to know where Arthur was supposed to be meeting this person. Arthur grinned.

“Right here,” he straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall and knocked lightly. There was a pause and then the door opened.

“Arthur,” a voice said gently, and Merlin gaped at seeing Gwen looking at them with a smile. It had never crossed his mind that she might have her own house away from the castle.

“Is he here?”

“Come on in,” Gwen pulled the door open a little wider and Arthur instantly disappeared. Merlin hesitated on the doorstep, not being sure what to do. But before his indecision could distress him, he realised Gwen still had a smile on her face.

“You too, Merlin. Unless you want to stand there like a lemon. Not that I think you’re a lemon, of course not, but you know-,”

Merlin stepped through the door before Gwen could get carried away.

“Thank you,” he said softly, looking around. He could just make out Arthur’s back at the far end, talking to another man. He made to take a step forward, but Gwen laid a gentle hand on his arm. When he glanced at her, she shook her head.

“Let me show you around,” her voice was a friendly as ever but her eyes were serious. It seemed even she didn’t know what the men were discussing, despite it taking place in her house. Merlin looked after his master longingly, wanting to know what Arthur was hiding. But then he allowed Gwen to lead him off.

She took him through to another small room where a kettle was hanging over a fire.

“Doesn’t the Lady Morgana need you?” Merlin asked, puzzled as to why she was at home. Gwen smiled.

“She gives me days off here and there, the chance to set the house in order, things like that.”

“She’s good to you,” Merlin stated, his gaze dropping as he perched on a stool Gwen had gestured to. The woman knelt in front of him, her hands taking Merlin’s.

“And Arthur is good to you?”

Merlin glanced towards the room. He wanted to deny it; he was a slave. But Arthur had dragged him out here, knowing he would end up with a friend, because he was worried. Merlin curtly nodded, not wanting to give a voice to his feelings. Gwen chewed her lip for a moment.

“Are you alright? After what hap- I mean, are you…. Are you alright, Merlin?” She blurted out, clearly having wanted to know the answer for a while now. Merlin sighed, trying to work through what he was feeling.

“I’m alright,” he eventually found himself saying. As soon as the words crossed his lips, he knew they were true. He had had a scare and a reminder Camelot wasn’t safe for him. But since then he had just been constantly reassured and cared for in a way he never expected. Folding his fingers around Gwen’s, he smiled at her. It was the first genuine smile, full of warmth, to cross his lips for a while.

“I’m alright, Gwen,” he said softly, finally believing it. He _would_ find a way to be able to go back home. But at least for now, he knew he was safe.

MMM

Arthur stared down at the report in front of him, not seeing a word of it. Realising it was pointless to even pretend, he turned his gaze back to the fire, letting the hypnotising flames drive away any thoughts and allowing him to just dream. It came as no surprise it was his slave’s face that swam before his eyes again.

He couldn’t help it.

Taking Merlin into town and reuniting him with Gwen had been the best thing that Arthur could have thought of. A month had passed since Merlin had been attacked, winter had properly set in, blasting the castle with icy winds and flurries of snow. Yet Arthur had never felt warmer. Merlin had relaxed, often spending the days off with other servants as they gossiped over their masters laundry or try to steal things from the kitchens while the Cook wasn’t looking (Arthur had only found this out after a welt on Merlin’s hand where he had been caught and given a whack with a spoon; Arthur tried to be stern but he remembered all too well how that felt). Since that first night in Arthur’s bed, it had become a habit for that to be where he slept now, meaning he was resting and eating well. Although he was still slender, he didn’t appear quite so haunted and his eyes sparkling with laughter when he deliberately teased the prince.

In short, he was gorgeous.

Arthur knew he had wanted him since that first day, he had admitted as much to Gaius. But while Merlin had been so weak, it was easy to not make an advances. Now, however, with his hands brushing over Arthur’s body as he helped him dress, or washed his back… Arthur wondered how long it would be until he made a fool of himself and had Merlin reject his advances. For he would approach this properly; he was not his father, nor would he ever be.

Sighing, Arthur snapped himself out of his daydream, cleared his throat and turned to look back at his reports. There was no point in thinking about Merlin in such a way. The man would be out of reach until he wasn’t a slave; how else was Arthur supposed to know if what he was telling him was true or what he thought his master wanted to hear? Deep down, however, he knew Merlin would make it known if he didn’t welcome Arthur’s advances.

A knock on the door was the most welcome thing the prince could have asked for. Merlin was out with Gwen, the two of them had been sent by Morgana to the market. At least, Gwen had been sent and Arthur had been whined at so much about how there was no man to escort her. He had caved and ordered Merlin along. He knew he had been played though, and was just glad Merlin had friends.

“Enter,” Arthur ordered, pushing the reports to one side. He knew it wasn’t Merlin, the man didn’t knock. He was only one of two people in the entire castle who did that and it amused Arthur to no end his slave shared a trait with his father.

But this time, it was Elyan slipping into the room.

“Is this a bad time, Sire?” He asked nervously. Arthur shook his head.

“Not at all,” gesturing for Elyan to enter further, he pointed to a chair before standing up and locking the door. No one could overhear them. He stoked the fire, causing its crackle to be that little bit louder before sitting down opposite him.

“Well?”

“Still nothing,” Elyan muttered despondently, the regret shining from his eyes. Arthur let out a groan, running a hand through his hair.

“You’ve made no progress?”

“Every time I think I have, something happens that leads me back to square one. Now we know how they stay on, I just can’t find a way to get them off.”

Arthur stared at the table, disheartened.

“If their own magic is used in the lock to keep it bound, I’m not sure if I can help. I can work the metal of the collar, but you know what happened to the girl I tried it on. I was knocked out, she was killed. Their magic is part of the mechanism and unless they can control it – which they can’t because of the collars – we’re stuck.”

Arthur didn’t say anything; he didn’t need too. He knew Elyan would know how he was feeling. Ever since he had realised what his father was doing, he had been working to find a way to remove the collars. No one knew, and he had intended to keep it that way until he realised having a blacksmith’s help would be crucial. It seemed strange seeing Elyan out of the forge and in his rooms; the man wasn’t born for finery.

“Thank you,” he finally sighed, knowing it wasn’t Elyan’s fault. He was risking his life by helping. Arthur had the protection of the fact he was the only heir to the throne; his father wouldn’t jeopardise that and it would be enough to keep the prince from death if they were discovered. No one else would have that luxury.

“What about Merlin?” Elyan asked quietly. “Will you tell him?”

“Tell him what? That I can’t physically free him if I wanted to? Where would that get me?”

“He would understand you are trying,” Elyan said gently, standing up as he spoke. “Talking of which… I know Lancelot and Gwen… but he’s a knight so I trust his word, but…”

“They’re just friends,” Arthur was quick to say. It was amusing seeing Elyan when he was in a brother mode, worrying for his sister due to her being in the company of another man. He hadn’t considered Eyan might worry over Gwen spending so much time with Merlin.

“How can you be sure?”

“I know how Gwen feels about Lance. I also know Merlin,” Arthur said, making it clear that brought an end to the matter.

“Yes, Sire,” Elyan understood the matter was closed and dipped his head but Arthur could see he was still far from happy. He smiled gently.

“Trust me, Elyan. She’s safe with him, I swear it.” This time, the blacksmith’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded again, his movements more certain this time.

“Is there anything else you need?” He asked respectfully, but Arthur shook his head, dismissing him as he did so. It wasn’t until the door shut behind him did the prince let his true emotions show, snatching up a goblet and hurling it at the wall. He had been convinced they were making progress. It had been months since he had first started to look for ways of freeing the slaves from the collars around their necks, and if anything the situation only seemed to have got worse. The only slave they had got the collar off had died straight afterwards and now Arthur found himself a master to one himself.

Running his fingers through his hair, he gripped on tightly in anguish. Was there no way to stop his father’s cruelty? Arthur was honestly beginning to feel like the only way he could help was buying more for himself; at least that would mean they were treated kindly. But he knew how his father’s mind worked; he wouldn’t trust Arthur’s motivations and would just see it as a challenge to bring more slaves into the castle.

His frustration getting the better of him, Arthur stood, knocking his chair over behind him as he did so. Letting out a yell, he failed to hear the door open as he sunk his fist into the wall, instantly having to grit his teeth against the pain lancing up his arm.

“What are you doing?” A voice yelped and Arthur turned to see Merlin standing there, looking shocked. Deciding he wasn’t in the mood, Arthur turned his back. It also worked to shield his face as he let a grimace cross it as he drew his hand in and cradled it against his chest. The knuckles were split, blood concealing the actual wounds and it was throbbing in such a way Arthur worried he had broken something. He had no desire to go to Gaius though.

“My room needs cleaning,” he ordered, keeping his back towards Merlin as he tried to move across to his bed. The last thing he needed was his slave; for Merlin to see him in his moment of weakness meant Arthur wasn’t sure he could conceal how he was beginning to feel about the man. If Merlin knew he desired him, then Arthur was convinced it would only take seconds for the old fear to emerge. Not to mention Merlin would flatly refuse to sleep in the bed and Arthur had got used to the warmth of another body, even if they weren’t touching.

But he had forgotten this was Merlin; the slave who never did as he was told.

“Sod that, let me see your hand,” he demanded. For a fleeting moment, Arthur panicked as he heard Merlin cross the room but by the time the man rounded him and came into sight, he had an expression of indifference back on his face.

“I gave you a job to do.”

“Arthur, stop it,” Merlin said softly, reaching out for his hand. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, then Merlin’s fingers wrapped around his wrist and he drew the injured hand away from Arthur’s chest. “If I’m truly your servant then it is my duty to look after you before anything else. If I’m your slave, then I’ll leave it and clean your room. Who am I?”

“You’re you,” Arthur murmured, not really having an answer. Merlin glanced up at him and grinned and Arthur felt his resistance disappear. He pulled away, but only so he could sit on the end of the bed. Merlin picked up a bowl and tipped some water into it before coming to kneel in front of him.

“So are you going to tell me what the wall ever did to you?” He asked conversationally, looking around for a cloth he could use to see to Arthur’s knuckles. Nothing was in reach. Then – to Arthur’s utmost shock – Merlin reached up and pulled off his scarf. Arthur had had more made after the man’s upset at Gwen taking it before, but he never thought he would see the day where Merlin took it off voluntary, leaving the collar on show and making no move to do anything about it.

“It stood there,” Arthur retorted, his anger melting. Merlin seemed to have a way of calming him and he knew Gaius would be shocked at how quietly he sat there and let his slave clean him up. He only jerked once, but Merlin called him out on it and Arthur didn’t move again.

“I don’t think you’ve broken it, just bruised,” Merlin finally announced sitting back and letting go of Arthur’s hand.

“Thank you, physician,” Arthur murmured drily, but Merlin just rolled his eyes. He went to pick up the bowl of water and Arthur suddenly felt himself feeling bold. He reached out his other hand and rested it fleetingly against Merlin’s cheek.

“Thank you,” he repeated, this time his voice echoing only sincerity. Merlin looked absolutely stunned and Arthur dropped his hand again before the man could read too much into it. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he didn’t regret it.

Climbing off the bed and making sure he didn’t put his weight on his hand, he moved back to the desk. The reports were still sitting there from before Elyan had interrupted them and Arthur knew he had to get them finished.

As he moved, however, he told himself it was the firelight that was causing Merlin’s cheeks to suddenly look red. After all, what else could it be? It’s not like Merlin would ever care for the man who kept him as a slave.


	9. Chapter 9

Merlin was in big trouble.

He had been for days now.

And he knew there was no way of getting out of it, not this time. He also felt that it was all Arthur’s fault for beginning to cross the line between them and Merlin didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know whether to take it further or try and scramble back across into the realm of friendship despite how he was feeling. For he knew he could deny it no longer, he cared about Arthur in a way he knew he shouldn’t.

He had been here for months now, although he had lost track of precisely how many. In that time, Arthur had gone from being a threat to being a safety net. Then it had gone beyond that; he made Merlin laugh in a way even Will hadn’t done, he made him feel happy. It was too late to pretend to hate him for keeping him enslaved, for Merlin had learnt enough about Arthur to know the prince hated the fact Camelot had slaves.

How, he wasn’t sure. He never heard anything, never heard Arthur say anything. But that was the point. Arthur never expressed an opinion either way and it had got Merlin thinking. There had been the look on Arthur’s face when he realised he was being gifted with one, his refusal until he knew his father would make matters worse. Merlin had blamed Arthur back then, but now he understood the prince was trying to save him from a fate worse than anything imaginable. Why else would he have not have touched him?

But when he realised Arthur hated slavery, he wasn’t sure. It might have been the meeting with Elyan – as he had learnt the man’s name was from Gwen. How they hadn’t been allowed within earshot and then Arthur’s later frustration in the day. Merlin might be a slave, but he wasn’t stupid. Arthur had clearly gone to Elyan for help about something and the man couldn’t help. If it was something personal, Merlin was sure he would have got it out of the prince. But Arthur wouldn’t tell him and Merlin was sure that meant he was being protected. Again.

And then Arthur had gone and touched him. So tenderly, so gently with nothing but sincerity in his eyes. He wasn’t his father – Merlin had known that for months. But he didn’t think Arthur would be so much the opposite. It had set his heart racing and his cheeks burning. The worst thing of all was that he thought Arthur might have seen how badly he was flushing as well. No one had ever touched him like that before apart from his mother. There had been something loving in it and Merlin was sure that was how Arthur had meant it.

Hence why he was now in trouble, kneeling behind the prince. Arthur was in the bath and Merlin had taken up his usual position in order to help wash his back. He wasn’t sure if this was an actual duty of a servant or whether Arthur had invented it just to make Merlin do it. Merlin didn’t mind; he felt a sense of pride when he could work out the tension in Arthur’s shoulders. But feeling his smooth skin running under his hands, Merlin could feel his heart thudding hard and the colour once again returning to his cheeks. But as he dug his thumb into a spot of tension and Arthur let out a sound that was halfway between a groan and a sigh, Merlin knew he had a bigger problem.

His body as a whole was reacting.

He had known for a while that he thought Arthur was attractive; seeing his face softened by sleep with all the cares and worries torn away had done something to Merlin. But it had only been the last few days that he realised that wasn’t the case anymore. He didn’t think Arthur was attractive, he thought he was gorgeous.

“Why have you stopped?” Arthur’s voice was a sleepy whine and Merlin realised his hands had frozen the second the sound has escaped from the prince. Arthur shifted under his touch and Merlin suddenly realised he was about to look around. Under no circumstances could he be allowed to see the state of Merlin’s arousal, he knew that would change things again. And if he was honest, Merlin wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

So instead, he quickly set to work and dug both thumbs in. He knew his pressure was too hard and this was no doubt hurting Arthur, but he had to stop him from turning around. He didn’t expect the reaction to be the opposite. Arthur seemed to go boneless under his touch, thudding back down from where he had begun to rise. His head rolled forward and there was no denying the moans coming from his mouth this time. Merlin felt himself harden even further and tried to take it out on Arthur.

It was only after he had picked up the speed of running his hands firmly across the prince’s shoulders did he realise his mistake. This wasn’t helping; this was just causing Arthur to react. Eventually, Merlin found himself shifting around the tub a little in order to chase a knot in the muscle from Arthur’s shoulders. His hands found the prince’s neck and chest before he realised what he was doing and Merlin froze again.

This time, something else had distracted him.

Arthur was as hard as him. His eyes were shut and his face twisted in pleasure.

But as Merlin’s hands faltered again, Arthur’s eyes snapped open and he seemed to realise what was going on. He shifted, immediately drawing his knees towards his chest.

“Leave me,” he ordered, his voice sounding hoarse. Merlin couldn’t move, he felt completely trapped. He had seen all of Arthur several times, bathing him resulted in that. But he had never once seen the prince like this and as a wild thought flashed across his mind, Merlin scrambled back.

For the first time, he wouldn’t actually mind being in Arthur’s bed for the reason why he had had been enslaved in the first place.

Hating his thought, Merlin tried to shake it from his mind as he set about trying to find Arthur some clothes for when he got out. The last thing he needed was for nothing to be ready and Arthur to have to stand there like that until Merlin got his brain working again. He found things and was just about to withdrawn – he had learnt that when Arthur used that tone, he meant it – when a sound reached his ears.

Unable to stop himself, Merlin peered back around the screen. Arthur had his fist screwed up and was biting down on it. Even from the angle that he was at, Merlin could see his eyes were scrunched shut as his other hand worked methodically under the water. The water was sloshing over the side as Arthur jerked but the prince didn’t seem to notice.

Suddenly, Merlin understood.

Arthur didn’t want him to go, not truly. He just didn’t want Merlin to be part of this because he had promised he wouldn’t be touched. Merlin had worked him into a state of arousal and now Arthur felt like he had to deal with it on his own because of a promise he had made a terrified slave. Feeling pride over the fact that he – only a slave – had managed to have this sort of effect on Arthur, Merlin adjusted his trousers and walked back towards him.

Arthur heard him, for he instantly stilled although he wouldn’t look at Merlin.

“I told you to leave,” he said quietly, his voice furious. Merlin didn’t answer, but just rolled up his sleeve and dipped one hand into the water. Carefully, he forced Arthur’s hand away from himself. The prince’s eyes flew open at that.

“What do you -,”

“Shh,” Merlin whispered, swallowing before closing his own fingers around him. He could feel Arthur throb in his grip and he made sure to watch the prince’s face carefully as he slid his hand along his member. Within just a few strokes, he had worked out how Arthur liked it and the prince was practically writhing in his hand.

“Merlin…”

“It’s alright,” Merlin managed to look Arthur in the eye as he spoke, holding his gaze and smiling gently. Arthur was still trying to stay in control of the situation. “Let me help.”

He didn’t give the prince a chance to answer, but just instead focused on the task at hand. Arthur didn’t seem capable of speech and it only took a few moments before his back arched and Merlin felt him pulsing to completion in his grip. He washed off his hand in the water, then backed away, dried it and held out the towel for Arthur.

Neither of them spoke as Merlin helped him dress, although he made sure to do it quickly and efficiently before things went further. He felt like they might have already gone too far and he didn’t dare meet Arthur’s eye. The prince had told him to leave and Merlin had done the exact opposite. Although he knew it was what Arthur wanted, he wasn’t sure what the reaction would be.

But when he made to take the washing from the room, Arthur’s voice called him back.

“Why did you do that?” his voice still sounded slightly dazed and Merlin sighed as he turned to look at him.

“I wanted to,” he said honestly. “You need to relax and this was the way to do it. I’m supposed to look after you, after all. In fact, I’m pretty sure that was exactly what I was supposed to be doing since the moment I arrived here.”

“But…” Merlin could see the distress in Arthur’s eyes. He left the washing and went to kneel down beside him, looking up at his master with nothing but trust in his own expression.

“I know you like me, Arthur. I know it is only your pride and the fact that I’m still your slave, regardless of what we both pretend, that means you haven’t already taken me. I don’t know if I want that… yet,” meeting Arthur’s eyes, Merlin quickly looked down again, blushing. At the end of the day, he was still untouched and the idea of going further was somewhat daunting, even if he had the feeling Arthur would be an excellent lover.

“I know you reacted because of what I was doing. It was only right I helped you. I didn’t do it because I’m your servant-slave, whatever I am to you. I did it because I wanted to, and judging by the look on your face, you wanted me to as well. That’s all there is to it, Sire.”

Arthur’s expression softened and Merlin knew he had understood this was nothing to do with position. Arthur hadn’t done anything that made Merlin feel as if he had to react, it had all been his own doing. He stood, gathering up the washing again and making to turn towards the door. Once again, Arthur called him back.

“If you wanted to make it part of your duties, I wouldn’t be complaining,” he said softly and Merlin found himself grinning. There was no order, not even a request in Arthur’s voice. Just him admitting he had enjoyed it.

“Maybe I will,” Merlin responded, nudging open the door and heading down the corridor, smiling. He had never thought this would end up happening, but he found he didn’t mind. For the first time ever, he had actually felt in control as Arthur came apart under his touch. He wasn’t sure what it meant that he liked it so much but he couldn’t deny it.

But he did know there had definitely been a blush on Arthur’s face when Merlin had left and that felt like a victory all by itself.

MMM

Arthur knew his afternoon would be wasted the second Merlin left his chambers. He could feel that he was flushing, and in trying to control it found that he was just getting more worked up. Standing up from his desk, he crossed to the window and threw it open, hoping the cool air would calm his cheeks down.

He couldn’t believe what had just happened.

He had known for a long time he was attracted to his slave and Merlin’s new found confidence was turning that into something more than just appreciating his looks. But it had never crossed his mind that Merlin might return the favour; Arthur had always assumed Merlin would only ever see him as his captor despite their relationship turning into a friendship. Arthur had thought that Merlin had played along with it because it was easier than fighting back.

At least, that was what he had been telling himself.

Deep down, he knew it had been true. He had seen the way Merlin’s eyes sparkled with mirth when he teased Arthur relentlessly over something. He had noticed the quick smile to Merlin’s face when Arthur had responded with something unprincely in return. He couldn’t fake that, even Merlin wasn’t that much of an actor. The fact he had been sleeping in Arthur’s bed for all of these weeks now and not once trying to kill him meant that Arthur had accepted Merlin didn’t hate him. He just didn’t want to admit that to himself for he wasn’t sure where that would lead them.

For someone not even prepared to admit a friendship was in place, having Merlin react like that had certainly been out of the blue. He had been ashamed at realising Merlin had seen his arousal, give to dismiss his slave before the old fear of being forced came back. He had hoped Merlin would leave the room and he would just be able to take care of himself in peace. But for his slave to come back and dip his hand into the water without prompting…

Arthur groaned as he leant his head against the window, the cool breeze doing nothing to keep him calm. The more he thought about what had just happened, the more he felt his body stirring with interest again. Biting his lip, Arthur forced himself to think about the reports waiting for him on his desk; tax reports and grain statistics should help keep him calm.

It took more time than he was happy with. He was a knight, he was always in perfect control of his body and its reactions. But as soon as Merlin’s face swam in his mind’s eye – cheeky grin and all – and Arthur thought about what had just happened…

“Damnit,” he muttered, leaving the window and returning to his desk. The more he was trying not to think about it, the more it seemed to be the only thing filling his mind. He was going to have to talk to Gaius. Not that he planned on telling the physician what had just happened, he didn’t want the man looking at him in disapproval. But he wanted some advice on what Gaius thought he should do; should he ignore what happened (although Arthur wasn’t sure how he would ask that if he was keeping specifics quiet) or try and pursue something. It wasn’t as if his father would frown on it, not considering the man had been the one to gift Arthur with the slave in the first place.

More confused than he thought he had ever been, Arthur thudded his head against his desk and groaned. One thing he did know for sure was that he was going to have to get it sorted, and fast. He couldn’t spend his days acting like a love-struck fool when he was the Crown Prince of Camelot and had a duty to the people to be on top form in order to oversee their protection.

The sound of the door opening had his head jerking up again. For an instant, Arthur thought it was Merlin returning and tried to hide his panic; he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face his slave yet. But the clank of armour signalled the arrival of a small guard and Arthur found himself swallowing hard. There was only one person who moved around the castle with that number of guards and would walk in unannounced. Arthur wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve it, but his father was walking through the door.

Awkwardly rising to his feet, Arthur inwardly cursed when he bumped the table slightly. There was something about the king that just turned him into a clumsy child again and the prince hated it. Not that he had any desire to prove himself to the man anymore, but he at least wanted to feel in control when his father turned up. The king, however, just waved a hand, motioning Arthur back into his seat as he sat in the opposite one. He poured himself a goblet of wine and sat back, eyeing his son closely.

“You looked relaxed. You have trained your slave well?”

Arthur was glad his hands had been on his lap when he sat back down. It meant he could scrunch them into fists and keep his face pleasant. He should have known. Uther wouldn’t have come by simply to enquire about his health. However, he couldn’t stop the smirk from sliding over his face. For once, he didn’t have to lie.

“You should have been here ten minutes ago, Father. I had a very satisfying bath.” The smirk on his face showed what he was implying and Uther nodded slowly. The man was watching him with an inscrutable expression, however, and Arthur had a feeling he was missing the point somehow. He didn’t know what to say though; didn’t want to incriminate himself when he didn’t know what the charges were. Arthur thought it said a lot about their relationship that there could be several things he had done wrong and he just didn’t know which.

“It’s interesting though,” the king said slowly and Arthur forced himself to keep his breathing calm. If Uther had any idea that nothing happened within his chambers, there would be hell to pay. And Arthur knew he wouldn’t be the one paying it.

“Father?”

“I have a guard in the dungeon. He’s been talking, claiming that he was trying to get a piece of the prince’s slave. Naturally, I wish to congratulate you on the punishment, they should know your belongings are not to be touched.”

“That’s why I had him put in the cells. He wouldn’t take my sword, he won’t take my ser-slave.” Arthur hoped that his father didn’t notice his stumble. But the man’s eyes narrowed and his scrutiny of his son seemed to intensify. Arthur found himself drawing on past lessons in order to just to sit still.

“Only the interesting part was he claims the boy was acting as if he had never been touched. If he truly was trained, he wouldn’t have dared fight back.”

“He’s lying,” Arthur said calmly, hoping his voice didn’t give away how hard his heart was pounding. He told himself he could get through this. He had suffered interrogations before.

“Maybe. But reports from other guards indicate your nights are quiet. The boy doesn’t seem very used.”

This time, Arthur could feel his face flaming a little. He should have guessed there was a reason guards stood outside his door at random times. He thought it was some sort of training exercise. He should have known they were reporting back to his father. He should have guessed the man wouldn’t trust him to properly train another person; Uther might not know how deep Arthur’s hatred ran, but he did know his son didn’t approve of slaves.

“I hardly think how vocal I am in bed has anything to do with the guards, Father.” Arthur didn’t even try to deny the blush he could feel, hoping that Uther would just think it was because he was thinking back to his exploits with his slave. But the king continued to watch him steadily, waiting for him to break.

Arthur thought he might get away with it. Until there came a sound that he had been dreading hearing since his father walked in. The door was opening again and considering there had been no knock, Arthur knew it was Merlin returning. The king started to turn, the corners of his lips beginning to curl into a predatory smirk and Arthur took the moment to shut his eyes. For a split second, he could ground himself and make sure he did whatever it took to get them through this. Not letting his father finding out what was truly going on and Merlin… Arthur shuddered. He had to protect Merlin.

“Arthur, why-oh.” Merlin turned too late. The king was already on his feet. He nodded to two of the guards who had been waiting by the door and they instantly grabbed Merlin’s arms, holding him fast as he struggled against the hold. Arthur couldn’t blame him; his father was the one responsible for Merlin’s nightmare. Arthur slowly stood up, resting his hands on the table. He had to stay in control.

“You let him speak to you in such a manner? To stand there as if he is your equal?” Uther’s voice was cold, contempt dripping from it. Merlin went pale as he stared at the king, his eyes darting desperately to Arthur before back again to the father.

“I…” Arthur didn’t know what he was going to say, his mind had gone blank. He didn’t have the chance to get further than that, however, before his father gave the guards another signal. One drove his knee straight into Merlin’s stomach and they used that moment to wrestle him to his knees. Arthur was only grateful that Merlin seemed too stunned to fight back. He knew that would only anger his father further.

By shifting position slightly, Arthur could see his father’s face. The man looked furious as he stalked forward, his hand wrapping around the scarf on Merlin’s neck and yanking. It was only the guards’ hold that stopped Merlin from pitching forward with the force, but Uther kept pulling until it tore free. Without so much looking, he tossed it into the fire.

“Slaves should be recognised by all for the scum they are,” the man spat. Arthur tried to step forward; he knew they were in trouble. But another guard had moved and blocked his way, warning him to stay still with a slight shake of his head. Arthur froze, his heart pounding even more than before.

“Strip him.”

“Father, no! You said it yourself, he is mine to do with as I please and that sight should be saved…”

“Silence, Arthur. In this case, I’m believing the guards report over yours unless I can be convinced otherwise.”

“What?”

Arthur barely noticed Merlin’s furious struggles as the guards tore at his clothing. As per usual, Merlin’s strength offered him no aid and while one held him down, another pulled out a knife and began slicing the garments off him. Arthur felt as if he was watching from afar though, his attention captured by his father. Uther had moved closer to him, and as soon as he was in reach, he grabbed Arthur’s chin.

“I believe you’ve been disobeying me. Either you take him now and prove that these rumours are false. Or you give him to me. Or, if you refuse, we will have Gaius examine him, prove he is still the virgin I believe him to be and then I will take him from you and instruct you in how to train a slave.”

Arthur felt sick. The smirk on his father’s face said it all; Uther had won, no matter what course of action Arthur took.

His stomach churning, Arthur slowly looked at Merlin. He was lying in a heap, panting desperately even as he tried to cover himself. Fear was in his eyes and Arthur knew he had to save him from his father.

“I’ll do it,” he said, sounding like he was sentencing a man to the gallows.


	10. Chapter 10

The walk across his chambers was the longest of Arthur’s life. He clasped his hands together in order to stop them from shaking. He had vowed he wouldn’t touch Merlin, that he would never force him. And now he was about to do both just because he couldn’t see any other way of saving Merlin from his father. If he hadn’t come to care about him so much, Arthur might have been able to stay true to his promises and refused. But the idea of the king getting his hands on the man he had come to care about… Arthur knew his father wouldn’t be gentle and the thought made him sick.

The guards backed off a step as Arthur approached, but they didn’t go far. It was as if they thought their prince completely incapable of handling himself and that Merlin was suddenly going to run for it. He had been here for months now. It was true Arthur hadn’t trained him as he was supposed to, but Merlin had accepted his position enough to know what was expected of him.

Glancing down, Arthur wasn’t sure if Merlin could have run even if he wanted to. He was shaking like a leaf.

“Merlin?” Arthur kept his voice gentle as he crouched down, offering Merlin his hand. “I need you to get up.” He made sure his voice didn’t carry to his father, but knew there was no denying the fact that his tone was fond rather than commanding. He couldn’t order Merlin, not even if both their lives depended on it. He wouldn’t.

Merlin shook his head, tear-filled eyes looking up at him.

“Arthur, please…” he whispered. Arthur knew it wasn’t about what they had to do as such; Merlin had just made it quite apparent he wasn’t exactly repulsed by the prince. It was because of _why_ and the fact it appeared they were going to have an audience.

“Merlin…”

“Oh for heaven’s sakes, Arthur, just order the boy. That’s what the cuffs are for.” If he was honest, Arthur had completely forgotten about the magical cuffs meaning Merlin had to be where Arthur wanted him to be. He glared at his father though.

“If you are pressing me to do this now, then I will do it in my own time, Father,” he grated out, knowing his tone was bordering on surliness and that wasn’t going to help either of them.

“Take him,” Uther nodded at the guards and before Arthur could turn back, they had grabbed Merlin by the arms, dragged him to his feet and hauled him over to the bed. Merlin struggled but they simply deposited him on it and backed off. Arthur closed his eyes in resignation before he slowly straightened up. Closer to the king, Merlin did now look ready to bolt and Arthur crossed the room quickly before the situation got worse. He linked his fingers through Merlin’s and pulled him up until he was kneeling up.

Kicking off his boots, Arthur knelt opposite him and before Merlin could protest, he kissed him. He was gentle, hands skating over Merlin’s body and causing the man to gasp, allowing Arthur to deepen the kiss. Very slowly, he lowered them back until Merlin was stretched out on the bed, continuing to lavish attention on him. Keeping his eyes open meant he could watch Merlin’s face as Arthur carefully wrapped his around him, beginning to stroke him. Merlin’s own eyes flew open with a gasp, his hands fisting in the bedclothes as Arthur sucked on his neck, bringing him to hardness.

He didn’t care what his father thought. He was going to make sure Merlin got as much out of this as he did, it was the only way he would be able live with himself afterwards. An impatient tut from behind him meant his father was not appreciating this fact and Arthur kept one hand around Merlin as he searched blindly for his oil with the other. In the end, a guard pressed it into his hand and Arthur drew back to slick up his fingers. Merlin’s eyes had gone wide and he was trembling again.

“Relax,” Arthur breathed, whispering in his ear before licking it. To his surprise, Merlin shuddered in pleasure as he did so and Arthur used it as a distraction as he slowly started opening him up. He got to three fingers and had Merlin trembling under him for different reasons when his father lost his patience.

“Fuck him, Arthur, or move out of the way.”

Arthur knew he couldn’t admit that his own fingers were the first thing to have penetrated Merlin in such a way and that was why he wanted to take it slow. He was trying to deny that they hadn’t slept together yet. But he knew the time was up and he began unlacing himself, eyes locked on Merlin’s. Seeing Merlin reacting to his ministrations in such a way had caused him to harden and he grunted as he oiled himself up. Merlin suddenly realised that the time was up and he made to scramble backwards, going limp as he did so.

“Arthur, no. I don’t…”

“I’m sorry,” Arthur breathed, but taking a gentle yet firm hold of Merlin’s thighs.

“Please…”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, lining himself up and hoping he had stretched Merlin enough. “I need you to relax. Close your eyes, forget anyone else is here but just you and me.”

He hoped Merlin hadn’t started hating him already or he had no idea how he would get through this. But he began edging in, his breathing staggering as he felt Merlin around him and just how good it felt. Merlin had indeed closed his eyes but tears were seeping from behind the closed lids. Arthur was glad in a way; he couldn’t face the pain in his eyes. He was being as gentle as he could, but this was Merlin’s first time. It was supposed to be something special not…

Not being raped.

It didn’t matter what Arthur’s intentions were, Merlin didn’t want this and Arthur was doing it anyway.

He stopped when he was fully inside his slave. He could feel himself trembling now and was doing all he could not to give in and just thrust. He could hear his father tutting impatiently behind him and Arthur knew the best thing was to just get this over and done with. He rested his hands on the pillow besides Merlin’s head, too ashamed to look at the man. Instead, his eyes shut as he began to rock and he soon lost himself to it, ignoring that they had an audience and letting the sound of skin on skin drown out his father’s impatience.

Arthur had been attracted to Merlin for too long, he didn’t stand a chance at dragging it out. He had a feeling that him coming so quickly and practically collapsing on top of the man gave away the lies that this had not been a regular thing like it was supposed to. But Uther couldn’t say anything; there was no denying Merlin was no longer a virgin now. Arthur had done what was required of him.

Uther ordered the men out of the room as Arthur slipped free, keeping his back turned to the king as he laced himself up. Unable to stop himself, he gently kissed Merlin’s forehead.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, making sure his father couldn’t hear him before climbing off the bed. He made sure he was standing between the king and the slave, knowing that Uther had far from forgotten about Merlin and seeing him like that would only fuel his lust for the slave. Arthur would have hoped that after six months, his father would have contended himself with his own slave, but he knew that look in the man’s eyes. He wasn’t that easily satisfied and clearly had hoped Arthur would have refused.

“Are you happy now, Sire?” Arthur said, his voice cold.

“For now. If I get any report of…”

“You won’t. But what I do in the privacy of my chambers is private. It is not for the guards to be reporting what I get up to and if I find any that I haven’t personally ordered to my door in the evenings, there will be more guards in the dungeon.”

“Mind your tongue, Arthur,” Uther snapped, but he clearly realised he had gone too far with pushing his son. With a sneering glance at Merlin – Arthur pretending not to see the darkening of his eyes – the king swept from the room. Arthur followed him to the door, slamming it shut and locking it. He knew he probably acted too quickly – only just avoiding catching his father’s cloak in the door – but this hadn’t just been about Merlin. Uther had thought he was disobeying him and so had kept the guards in the room for that reason alone. He alone would have been enough. But he had wanted to humiliate Arthur in the process and the prince was livid. Realising he was shaking with anger, Arthur forced himself to take a deep breath and unclench his hands.

Only when he was sure that he had control over himself did he move back across the room.

“Merlin?”

The man was precisely where Arthur had left him, staring at the ceiling with a vacant expression on his face, legs still splayed. Wondering precisely what damage he had done – the attack from the guard had been bad enough and nothing had actually happened then – Arthur crossed the room. If Merlin noticed his pretence, he didn’t react to it. Gently, Arthur drew his legs shut, wondering if it was good or not that Merlin didn’t recoil from him. He wasn’t even sure if the man noticed. Awkwardly, he managed to draw the covers up and get a blanket over Merlin before turning to his destroyed clothes. They had already had more scarves commissioned, but Arthur knew he was going to have to beg a favour of Gwen to get a new set of clothes made for Merlin as quickly as possible.

He went to move towards the door, intending to flag down a guard to fetch Leon. It was the only knight he would let near right now, and the only man to keep it quiet when Arthur sent him to Gwen. Arthur knew his father’s departing words weren’t just an idle attempt at conversation; he didn’t trust Arthur and would be having him watched.

But he never made it to the door. As soon as he stepped away from the bed, Merlin moved. His hand shot out and grabbed Arthur’s wrist hard, even though he didn’t look away from the ceiling.

“Don’t leave me,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. It sounded as if he had been screaming and Arthur hated the fact he had been the one to cause it.

“Merlin, I…”

“Please.”

How could he deny him that? Arthur hitched himself onto the bed, resting against the wall and making sure there was distance between them.

“I’m…”

“Don’t say you’re sorry.” Merlin hadn’t moved but his voice was harsh and angry. This time, it was Arthur’s turn to flinch.

“How can you say that? You asked me to stop and I didn’t. I enjoyed it.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Your father gave you no choice. Do you think I didn’t see the look he gave me? I heard what he said and I…” Merlin trailed off. When Arthur glanced down at him, the servant seemed to sense his gaze and slowly turned his head to look at him. Tears ran from his eyes but he didn’t look away.

“I’m glad it was you,” he settled for whispering. “I know you’re not him and you wouldn’t have touched me if you had the choice. But I would much rather you were my first than…him. You tried.”

Arthur knew what he was saying; Arthur had tried to make it pleasurable, tried his hardest not to hurt Merlin. Arthur sighed, stretching out a hand. When Merlin didn’t move away, he gently combed his fingers through his hair.

“Get some sleep,” he murmured. Just like most nights, Merlin listened to that order and gradually his eyes closed, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts.

MMM

Merlin had absolutely no idea how to react when he awoke to find his head was leaning on Arthur’s leg and the prince was still absently stroking his hair, reading a report as he did so. He knew it meant Arthur must have got up. That surprised the warlock; he thought he would be too on edge to go to sleep, let alone to sleep deeply enough to not feel Arthur move. But then he supposed he had been exhausted.

As soon as he had walked into the room and seen the guards and the king, he knew what was coming even if Arthur hadn’t registered where his father was taking it. He hadn’t forgotten how the king had looked at him, how he had throbbed with need at the idea of taking Merlin for his own. It might have been six months, but as soon as he had seen him there, Merlin knew his hope the king had forgotten him was in vain. Why the King of Camelot had such a vested interest in a farmboy, Merlin didn’t want to know.

And he didn’t want to think about it. For that had meant anticipating what was coming, however hard Arthur had tried to delay the inevitable.

The prince felt him stirring and glanced down. He smiled gently when he saw that Merlin was awake, but then a look of utmost misery crossed his face. Merlin knew why; Arthur would never forgive himself for what had just happened. Merlin knew it wasn’t his fault. Maybe even a month or so ago, he would have held it against the prince and hated him for what he had done. But now he knew he couldn’t. After all, he had stroked Arthur to completion not even the hour before, he _liked_ the man. He just never would have thought they would have to go further. Arthur had been as much as a victim in this as Merlin and Merlin had just hoped his words before he had fallen asleep had done enough to convince Arthur of that.

“What are you working on?” Merlin asked, beginning to sit up. It was easier to ask about something pointless. Although he didn’t blame Arthur, he wasn’t entirely sure if he was ready to talk about what had just happened. He knew he wasn’t angry, but at the same time, he wasn’t entirely sure how he was feeling. He needed time.

“What?” Arthur looked completely confused but Merlin realised he had a bigger problem. He was still completely naked; he didn’t even know if he had any clothes to be able to put back on, not considering the way Uther had had his men slice them off. As the thought crossed his mind, his hand rose to his neck of its own accord and he couldn’t stop the cry escaping him when he felt the collar. He had never _stopped_ feeling it, but knowing it was hidden from the rest of the world had helped him. He yanked the blanket up with him, looking around for something he could use to hide it again.

“Merlin,” Arthur caught hold of his hand gently, drawing him back to the bed before Merlin got off it. “Relax.”

“I-I…”

“Stop,” there was an order in the prince’s voice and Merlin found himself listening. “I’ve already ordered more clothes to be brought and you know you have more scarves. Don’t panic.”

Merlin found himself swallowing tears. There was something calm and controlled in Arthur’s voice, something that made him want to listen and calm down. He allowed the prince to wrap the blanket back around him, surprised at just how tender the man was being. He knew Arthur wasn’t a monster like his father, but he had never seen him like this either. It made Merlin feel safe, despite still being in the same room and with the same person who had just been forced to take his virginity.

Pulling his knees up to his chest and making sure the blanket was covering him, Merlin hugged his arms around his legs and stared despondently across the room. Could he go back to just being Arthur’s servant after everything the day had just thrown at them? After all, it wasn’t as if Arthur had even made the first move sexually between them and Merlin knew that just complicated things. What did the prince want and what was he doing because he had to?

Leaning his head on his knees, Merlin found himself watching Arthur as he went back to the reports. To his surprise, an emotion that could closely resemble fondness was swelling within him. He might have been untouched, but he knew enough to know Arthur had done his utmost to make sure he got some enjoyment out of it. Or at the very least, he hadn’t been hurt. He had been considerate and Merlin felt like he was turning traitor to himself. If it had been another situation, would he have actually enjoyed what had just happened? He had told Arthur he was accepting his position as a servant, but would he come to accept this to?

Growing angry, Merlin jumped off the bed. This time, Arthur wasn’t quick enough to stop him. Keeping a hand clamped around the blanket to make sure it stayed around his waist at the very least, Merlin stalked across the room back to his corner. He stood, staring at the floor where he had slept for so many weeks.

“What are you doing?” Arthur’s voice was guarded but he hadn’t moved from the bed when Merlin turned to look at him. The warlock thought he had an answer, he thought the hate was finally coming now that he was being reminded of why he was really here. But all that happened when he looked at the prince was that his mind went completely blank.

“I…” Arthur climbed off the bed while Merlin was still floundering for words and crossed to his wardrobe. Before Merlin could ask what he was doing, he found some of Arthur’s own clothes flung at him. They were old ones from the back and Arthur seemed to think for a moment before finding a belt and flinging that across as well. Merlin didn’t protest, he didn’t ask, he just dressed. Although the clothes drowned him, he felt better knowing he was presentable once again rather than constantly showing what had just happened.

Arthur poured out two goblets of water and beckoned Merlin across. The warlock found that he was still clutching the blanket even as he moved and he wrapped it back around his shoulders. He was shivering and he knew it was partly the utmost confusion that was running through him. Why had this happened when he realised his feelings for Arthur were beginning to change? It was making everything so much harder.

Arthur motioned for him to sit and Merlin hesitantly dropped into a chair, stealing a glance at the door as he did so.

“Don’t worry,” Arthur seemed to correctly interpret his look. “No one can get in without my say-so. Not this time.”

Merlin perched on the edge of the chair, not daring to take the goblet that Arthur had put in front of him. He thought it would give away his trembling hands and he wanted to try and regain at least a little composure in front of the prince. He stared at the table, not being sure what Arthur wanted from him.

“How did you come to be here, Merlin?” Arthur asked softly, and when Merlin looked at him, it was to see his eyes burning with empathy. Yet his face was set; Arthur truly wanted answers about how Merlin had come to Camelot.

Shivering, Merlin shut his eyes. Instantly, a flash of the village burning swum behind closed lids and he wrenched them open again.

“I was careless,” he muttered. No one, not even Gwen, had asked him what had happened. Yet Arthur looked like he wanted to know. He lifted a single eyebrow, prompting Merlin without words to explain.

“My village was attacked by bandits. At least, we thought it was. They set fire to so many buildings, so many men were killed,” he began, his voice flat and emotionless. “Then they started going after the women. One came for my mother.”

It didn’t matter how detached Merlin was trying to sound, anger flooding his voice when he thought of the brute throwing his mother down.

“I stopped him.” He hadn’t just stopped him, he had blasted him straight out of the hut and followed him with eyes burning gold. With one sweep of his hand, the majority of the bandits were knocked out. Magic was instinctual to him, once it had started flowing from him it took no effort on his behalf to put out the fires.

“But it was all a trap,” he continued. His hands were twisting in his lap as his voice trembled. “They were acting under orders. I don’t know if the men were your father’s or not – they had armour but no crest. They had heard rumours and wanted to see if they were true about me. They came back that night.”

This time, there was no denying the tremble in his voice as he thought back. Back to how he had awoken to find a bottle pressed against his lips, being forced to swallow. How the drug had made him lethargic, unable to fight back as they locked the collar around his neck. Even drugged, he had still screamed as his magic was cut off, feeling like a part of him was being suffocated and killed. They had been holding his mother down, but as they had bound him and started hauling him from the hut, she had lunged forward and made him promise to stay true to himself. It was the last words he had uttered to her before they had gagged him and yanked him out, hands biting and bruising.

Then he had been pulled over a horse and his long journey to Camelot had begun.

“Where was your village?” Arthur asked softly, forcing Merlin to draw himself out from dark thoughts. Merlin cleared his throat, wiping his eyes as he told him. Arthur’s face went thunderous.

“You didn’t even live in Camelot’s borders? They were my father’s men, they go collecting whenever there is a rumour. Sometimes they just have their fun, but if the sorcerer is powerful, they had are brought back. You reacted when the collar was put on, didn’t you?”

Merlin mutely nodded and Arthur echoed his actions.

“That saved you. It meant they knew you were powerful and worth something.”

“That saved me?” Merlin cried, incredulous. He stood up, shoving the chair violently back. “So I can come here to be chained to your bed with the threat of your father taking me if you don’t? You call that being saved?”

“It could have been worse,” Arthur murmured, standing up as well. He reached out for Merlin and before he knew what he was doing, Merlin had punched him. Unlike his attempts on his life all those months ago, Arthur wasn’t expecting it and so the hit landed.

“Fuck off, Arthur,” Merlin spat, stalking away from him and back to his corner.

“Merlin…”

“I’m chained here, stuck to be wherever you want me to be and to do your bidding, knowing you are a good man and it still has to happen. If you can’t stop it, who can? Don’t tell me that’s saving me, even if my alternative is your father.”

Throwing himself down, Merlin knew it wasn’t Arthur he was angry at. But it didn’t matter how good Arthur was to him, he was still a slave and that wasn’t going to change. He might have come to accept things a little more now, but Merlin just found himself wanting to go home and knowing it wasn’t going to happen. He would do anything to find out if his mother was even alive or whether the soldiers had killed her for raising a warlock.

And he had no way of finding out.


	11. Chapter 11

It only took a couple of hours for Merlin to realise he had gone too far this time. Arthur had pulled away, even leaving the room for a couple of hours. The prince’s mood wasn’t any better when he returned and Merlin knew what he had said had hurt the man. After all, Arthur had been nothing but kind and considerate - he had even been trying to make Merlin feel better. After this length of time together, Merlin would have thought that he would have stopped targeting Arthur whenever things got too much.

But it had been a shock being asked about Ealdor. Not just because it brought back painful memories, but because those memories had been fading from his mind. How could he admit to Arthur that he was angry because it was only being asked that had made him think about his mother for the first time in almost a month? He had been so preoccupied with working out how he was feeling about the prince that thoughts of her hadn’t crossed his mind.

What was fondness for a master that would never free him compared to the knowledge of knowing if his mother was alright or not?

Furious with himself, Merlin had refused to move from his spot in the corner, even when Arthur ended up sending another servant to the kitchen. As normal, he fetched enough for two, but Merlin refused the food. Even the smell was enough to make him feel sick.

His body hurt with what they had done, despite knowing that Arthur had been gentle. He had tensed, he had tried to resist because of Uther being in the room, despite Arthur’s pleas for him to relax. Arthur had tried; Merlin had just brought this upon himself. He knew bruises would be mottling his arms again from where the guards had grabbed him and his own self-shame about thinking of home was making his stomach turn.

“You should eat something.”

It seemed that Arthur wasn’t appreciating his reasons for not eating. But Merlin recoiled at the way Arthur hadn’t even turned to look at him and his voice was detached and cool. He had only been asking and Merlin had lashed out. Sighing, the warlock felt like he should try and make amends. Arthur was his safety net here, regardless of whether Merlin liked that or not. He couldn’t afford to have the prince mad at him, although he knew Arthur still wouldn’t let any harm come to him.

“I…” He made it to his feet, looking towards the table. Maybe food would help? But as soon as he was given a sight of it, Merlin felt his stomach roll. Him saying something had been enough to make Arthur turn around and Merlin was vaguely aware of the alarmed look that the prince was giving him.

“Are you alright?” Arthur exclaimed bluntly. It seemed no matter how much he tried to detach himself from the situation, he was as bad as Merlin at disguising the feelings in his voice. But Merlin barely heard him, there seemed to be a strange ringing in his ears and he could feel that he was flushed, the blood rushing to his face.

“What?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded distant and just wrong. Arthur was standing and Merlin didn’t know why. The warlock took a step forward and suddenly realised that his vision was fading. He tried to look to Arthur but he couldn’t. He couldn’t lift his head, just letting the darkness claim him.

He knew he wasn’t out for long; there had been no change in the room. Apart from the fact that his head seemed to be resting on Arthur’s lap and the prince was watching him closely, concern in his eyes. Merlin tried to sit up, but Arthur’s hand to his shoulder kept him down.

“Easy.”

“What happened?”

“You fainted.”

“Yes, I gathered that. But…” What Merlin really wanted to know was why. But he didn’t know how to ask Arthur, didn’t know how to explain that he was afraid. Luckily, Arthur had become adept at reading his face and seemed to know what he wanted.

“I raped you a couple of hours ago. And then I asked you questions that clearly got you emotionally. You haven’t eaten and you’re in pain. Your body wanted a time-out.”

Merlin could only stare up at him. Had the emotions about his mother truly been enough to make him pass out? He knew he couldn’t deny it, not considering the position they were in. As that thought ran through his head, Merlin tried to sit up again. This time, Arthur didn’t keep him down but aided him, not letting go until Merlin was resting against the wall.

“You didn’t,” Merlin suddenly said bluntly. Arthur stared at him.

“Didn’t rape me,” the warlock continued, knowing that he was blushing. Until that day and Arthur’s bath, he had truly been an innocent. Now it seemed he had jumped in with both feet. “You had no choice either. Please don’t think of it like that, Arthur. I don’t.”

He somehow knew it was important for Arthur to know that. He couldn’t have the prince blaming himself when Merlin had heard everything that passed between father and son. Arthur had just been keeping him safe. Arthur’s eyes dropped and he wouldn’t hold his gaze. Instead, he stood and moved across the room, causing alarm to shoot through Merlin.

“Where-?” He gasped, suddenly terrified that Arthur was just going to leave. The prince cast him an almost amused look.

“Relax. I’m just going to get a bath run.”

“You’ve already had one.”

“It’s for you.” Merlin could only sit there, gaping as Arthur opened his door and caught the attention of a passing servant. He had kept clean since being in Camelot, but never had he sunk into a warm bath the way the prince did. What was Arthur thinking to believe he deserved one? But his mind was too numb in order to offer a protest.

Before Merlin could think about what was happening, there was a steaming bath waiting for him. He had barely noticed the maids coming and going with their heated buckets, but had just lent against the wall with the blanket pulled up under his chin and tried to clear his mind. Arthur was wrong; he wasn’t emotional. Not the way the prince believed. He was angry over his mother, he couldn’t deny that. But he had known all along that Arthur was being as forced as he was when it came to bedding him; he hadn’t seen it as being raped because he knew while Arthur might want him, he hadn’t wanted to do it.

“Merlin?”

Half-asleep, Merlin looked up to find Arthur watching him. The prince offered down his hand and Merlin took it before he could reconsider, letting Arthur help him up and letting the blanket drop to the floor. He was still clothed in Arthur’s clothes, and it suddenly made him realise just how young he was feeling. They were too big for him and he felt lost in them, just like he had when he was a small child and tried on an adult’s cloak. The thought made him tremble, but Arthur was leading him forward before he could react. The prince pushed him gently behind the changing screen, making the point that he was giving Merlin his privacy.

Although his hands were still shaking, Merlin knew the bath would only stay hot for so long. He wasn’t going to ignore Arthur’s kindness. Quickly stripping off, he found himself checking that Arthur wasn’t looking before slipping into the bath. He didn’t dare relax, although a gasp of pleasant surprise escaped him at just how wonderful a warm bath felt. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arthur glancing over at him with a fond smile. But when Arthur saw that Merlin was sitting bolt upright, hugging his knees to his chest, he made his way over.

“It’s supposed to help you relax,” he chided gently. Merlin looked up at him, lost and vulnerable. He had never experienced something like this before and he wasn’t entirely sure what he should be doing. Of course, he had witnessed Arthur in his bath more times than he could count over the last few months, but the prince had been born into this lifestyle; bathing came as naturally to him as breathing. Something in his expression must have let Arthur know how he was feeling because before Merlin could stop him, the prince had knelt down next to the bath. It was exactly the same position that Merlin always knelt in to aid the prince and it sent a moment of panic through Merlin.

“Relax,” Arthur murmured as the waters stirred. “I’ve locked the door, no one is coming in without my say-so. Sit back.”

It took Merlin a moment to un-tense his muscles, but he managed to let go of his legs and sit back against the bath. Gradually, his legs relaxed into the warm water as well and he felt his head thud back as he finally let himself accept the warming water and shut his eyes. He heard Arthur move and knew the prince was giving him space. Merlin took advantage of it, running his hands through the water and marvelling at the way it trickled through his fingers, warming and comforting. Sighing, he allowed himself to slip further into the bath, letting the water come up over his shoulders.

Wondering if he could truly wash away all of his anger and guilt, Merlin took a deep breath and slipped further, allowing the water to close over his head. It was warm and he was sleepy; the bath was doing the trick of making him forget what he had been so angry about. He knew he should apologise to Arthur properly, and after he got out, he would. He would make amends for his behaviour and explain why he had acted up. But only when he knew he was ready, or he was sure that he would only get angry again.

What Merlin hadn’t considered, however, was that the prince was keeping an eye on him even while he let him bathe. Merlin was just about to come up for air when he felt hands grab at his shoulders and yank him upwards. Caught by surprise, he sucked in a breath too quickly and emerged coughing and spluttering. Once he had managed to clear his airways and eyes of the streaming water, he looked up to find Arthur looking furious.

“Don’t you dare!” The prince thundered, causing Merlin to blink at him.

“What? I just-,”

“I know what you just did. If you ever think about doing that again, I’ll… I’ll…” Arthur seemed to have no idea what the end of his threat was going to be and Merlin suddenly realised what was going on. He knelt up, finding that he didn’t care he was exposing himself this time, and looked into Arthur’s eyes.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he murmured softly, realising that Arthur had thought he had been trying to kill himself. “I didn’t think… it was just warm and I wanted to feel clean.”

Arthur’s face slowly coloured as he realised how wrong he had been and Merlin found the sight endearing. He sat back in the bath, but found himself taking Arthur’s hand and steadily washing it, rubbing between his fingers and focusing on his task so that he didn’t have to look the prince in the eye when he spoke again.

“You really care that much what happens to me?” he whispered. Deep down, he knew the answer. But the day had been a strange one and Merlin found that he truly wanted to know where he stood with his master. When Arthur was silent, he dared a glance out of the corner of his eye. The prince’s eyes were troubled yet his expression was soft.

“Yes, Merlin,” he said, his voice soft. “I do.”

And Merlin knew why Arthur looked so troubled. This made everything so much harder than just an unwilling master and slave.

Especially because Merlin knew he felt the same.

MMM

Arthur felt his heart pounding uncomfortably hard for the rest of the evening. He re-ordered dinner and was pleased to see that Merlin ate it. Although he had believed him when Merlin had said that he hadn’t meant anything serious by slipping under the water, Arthur was still paranoid that if he turned his back for too long, Merlin would do something else. All of those times when he had tried to kill Arthur, the prince had never thought about what would happen if he instead tried to kill himself.

He just had to hope Merlin had been telling the truth.

However, much as he wanted to keep an eye on Merlin all evening, he knew there were reports to be done and figures to be checked. He had a feeling his father’s actions earlier weren’t just because of rumours of Arthur not having bedded his slave. He had been falling behind on other things as well, spending most of his time down at the forge when he should have been training to help Elyan with his investigations. That in turn was just leading him to feeling more and more frustrated; how hard could it be to figure out how to get off magic-suppressing collars? But apparently it was harder than Arthur had first anticipated and the longer they were stuck investigating rather than acting meant they had more chance of being found out.

He had to get everything up straight so that his father didn’t have a reason to suspect him more than he already did. Merlin was back in his corner and when Arthur had glanced over, it was to see him sitting against the wall, his knees bent up and a peaceful expression on his face as he lost himself to his thoughts. Whatever they were, they were not thoughts that Arthur had to worry about right now and he was just glad that Merlin had managed to find some peace.

It was niggling away at him though, what Merlin had said about where he had come from. Arthur had always suspected their raiders went beyond the borders and now he had proof. He had every right to go to his father and formally tell him; it was risking war otherwise for just the sake of a few slaves. But Arthur wasn’t sure if he was brave enough, not just yet.

Realising that he had read the same sentence three times, Arthur pushed his chair back and strode for the door. Merlin glanced up, looking alarmed, but Arthur smiled and he relaxed again. That in itself made his heart clench; why had he allowed himself to care what Merlin felt? As a human, of course, but his actual emotions and feelings? He was here to serve Arthur’s needs. And now the only thing Arthur was thinking about was making him happy. It made him feel weak, stupid and vulnerable, yet for the first time ever those emotions weren’t causing him to lash out. For if he did, it would be Merlin who bore the brunt of them and Arthur wasn’t sure he could stand that.

He hated it.

Pulling open the door, Arthur almost sagged in relief. He hadn’t actually thought through what he would have done if it hadn’t been Lancelot and Leon guarding his door. It seemed that his father had at least taken him seriously and knew Arthur would only allow the knights he shared a comradeship to guard his door. Leon glanced around at the door opening, checked the corridor was empty before yanking him out in it. He shut the door firmly behind Arthur and the prince knew by the look on the man’s face he had heard what had happened.

At least, he had heard that Arthur had fucked his slave. Arthur would bet anything the rumours weren’t telling the truth; that his father had been there and forced them.

“I can explain,” he said quickly, holding up his hands before Leon could start on a tirade. Once the man started, it took him a while to stop and Arthur didn’t want to stay out of the room for longer than possible. Keeping his voice as emotionless as possible, he described what had happened and the implied threats. Leon’s face morphed from one of anger to sympathy and his hand came to rest on Arthur’s shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

“Me? He’s the one who-,”

“You were forced as well,” there was only sympathy in Leon’s voice and Arthur found himself staring at him. That was what Merlin had said. Why were they determined to see him as a victim in this as well? He had raped a man he had sworn he would never touch and Leon was asking if he was alright?

“No,” Arthur found himself saying before he even realised he was thinking it. He leant back against his door, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I never realised how much I actually cared about him.”

These two men were the only ones he would admit it to. Leon had been by his side for longer than Arthur could remember and he knew Lancelot’s loyalty was one of the strongest he had ever experienced. They wouldn’t judge him.

“I knew I wanted him,” he continued, hoping he wasn’t blushing. “But I didn’t think I would care. I mean, part of me has wanted to bed him since he got here. Don’t look at me like that, I would have never done it. Yet when it was quite apparent I had no choice, I didn’t want to. That could have been my moment, telling myself that it was for his own good. But I… I just didn’t want to hurt him. He’s made me weak.”

“If you can look me in the eye and say that, I might be more inclined to believe you,” Leon said coolly, and this time Arthur knew he was blushing. He lifted his eyes to meet his knights, but the words died in his throat. Of course he couldn’t say it. He hadn’t believed his father’s teachings for years now, he wasn’t about to start again now. The shame must have shown on his face for Leon relaxed again.

“I know you don’t like this. But don’t fight against yourself as well. You feel what you feel, and anyone who has seen the way he looks at you means he feels the same. You were forced as much as he was, so please, for the love of God, stop making yourself into the monster you are not.”

Arthur managed to meet Leon’s eyes one more time before he blew out a shaky laugh. His friend was the only one who would be able to get him to believe that. Merlin hadn’t yet earned that right. But Leon had known his fears and dreams since before Arthur was allowed on the training grounds. He knew how his mind worked and knew how to stop him from thinking like this. He was doing his father’s work for him if he told himself that he had wanted it.

“But you didn’t know we knew. Which meant you came out for something else. What?”

“Ealdor.”

“Come again?”

“That’s where they snatched him from,” Arthur muttered, making sure he kept his voice low. He would have rather done this in the privacy of his chambers, but he didn’t want Merlin to overhear. He didn’t want to get the boy’s hopes up if it was bad news. “They’ve been raiding across the borders, that’s where he lived.”

“What do you want us to do?” Lancelot said quietly and Arthur smiled at him in gratitude. It didn’t matter that Arthur was mentioning a place that was beyond Camelot’s borders, the knight was still prepared to follow whatever order Arthur gave him.

“His mother. I need you to go to her, find out if she is still alive, help her if she is hurt; they caught him by raiding, there might be no one left. But if she is well, tell her he’s alive. Tell her he’s safe.”

“Is he though?”

“As safe as I can get him,” Arthur found himself vowing.

“What if she wants to see him? We can hardly bring her here, if your father found out… Merlin can’t protect her collared, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want her to see him have to submit.”

“If she wants to see him… if she can travel, send word. The clearing by the river, the one we use for camps… Be there three days after sending word. I’ll find a way to get him there.”

“Arthur, you realise the furthest he has left the castle is the Lower Town? How are you going to suddenly send him off into the forest? Your father…”

“Will allow it because he’ll expect me to use the cuffs to stop him from running. And if I have to, I will… he’ll be hunted if he does run and I can’t protect him if he tries to escape, we all know no one avoids the hunters for long. I’ll find a way, alright? Just get to Ealdor and find out if she is alive.”

Lancelot nodded once and strode off without another backwards glance. Arthur knew he would; Lancelot was the man he had had in mind when he had ventured outside his door. He watched him go, acutely aware that Leon was watching him.

“What?” Arthur eventually muttered, feeling more and more like a child the longer he was under that stare. Leon just shrugged.

“You’re a good man, Arthur Pendragon,” he said quietly before twisting on the spot so that he was once again taking up guard. Arthur smiled gently, feeling a weight lifting from him as he let himself back into his room, making sure that he locked it behind him again.

Merlin was standing, watching him intently as he came back in. Arthur glanced at him then looked away, sure that he would see what Arthur was planning. He didn’t want Merlin knowing simply because he had no idea if the boy’s mother was still alive. He couldn’t – he wouldn’t – do that to him.

“Is there a problem?” He said curtly, knowing he was trying to cover himself. Not looking at Merlin, he moved across the room and began changing for bed, realising the events of the last day or so had exhausted him. He felt so on edge and wasn’t even sure if he was going to be able to get to sleep. But he knew he had to try; he had to become the perfect son for a few days.

“No,” Merlin muttered, still looking like he was trying to work something out. Arthur changed and climbed into bed, and then realised that Merlin had remained frozen. Arthur cursed inwardly, realising he hadn’t thought this through. Would Merlin think he wanted more than sleep if he told him to get in? Or would he take it as a dismissal and a slight if Arthur sent him back to his corner.

“Hurry up,” Arthur muttered, knowing he was sounding like a spoiled child. Merlin moved across the room but Arthur felt his heart sink when he climbed into the bed. Merlin hadn’t slept on the edge that much since his first night. Arthur lay quietly for a moment, then realised it was up to him to set things right.

“I won’t touch you,” he promised, only for Merlin to turn over and look him straight in the eye. The movement was so abrupt that Arthur almost flinched back out of surprise. His bewilderment only grew when Merlin stretched out a hand and fleetingly touched him on the cheek before seeming to catch himself and rolling back again.

“I know.”

The words echoed in Arthur’s ears long after he had blown out the candle and he was sure he went to sleep with a smile on his face.

Even after everything, Merlin still trusted him.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The next few days were the longest of Arthur’s life.

He knew it would take Lancelot time to travel to Ealdor. He would have to go undercover and make sure no one knew he was a knight from Camelot. But that was why Arthur had picked him; the man had travelled around before and knew how to pass himself off as unnoticed. He hadn’t been born into a noble family and so he knew how to act as a commoner – more than could be said for the majority of the knights.

And then there would have been the case of tracking down Merlin’s mother. They didn’t even have a name, for Arthur hadn’t wanted to ask in case it upset Merlin further and he had no real reason of needing to know. He knew he didn’t want Merlin finding out what was going on until they knew for sure. After all, the hunters were not gentle men. It was only his obvious power that meant they hadn’t raped Merlin on the way home, knowing he would be worth more untouched. The same didn’t hold true for anyone they left behind.

Then there was the matter of the betrayal. Someone had sold Merlin out and Lancelot would be in danger if that same person realised he was there asking questions. All in all, Arthur knew that he had to wait and be patient. But patience was never his strong point and he knew Merlin was beginning to suspect something.

Arthur was sure his lies must have been blaring out of him like a torch in the darkness. Every time Merlin asked if he was alright, Arthur found himself snapping a response. After a few days of it, he realised Merlin had stopped asking and cursed himself. How would he be feeling if after everything that had happened, Arthur then started to draw away? He knew Merlin was probably thinking it was something he had done, but Arthur vowed that he had to keep up the pretence.

Even if it was just for a few more days until he knew Lancelot’s case had been a lost one.

“Do you want this or not?” Merlin’s annoyed and tired voice snapped Arthur out of his musings and he jumped to see his servant was holding out the shirt that he had been mending. Arthur had ordered him too so severely that it was no surprise that Merlin thought he wanted it straight away. Mutely, Arthur shook his head and realised that was Merlin’s undoing.

The servant threw the shirt down without a word and stalked towards the door. Arthur knew he would no doubt be seeking out Gwen, knowing he was safe with her and Morgana and probably expecting much better company than here with Arthur. But it would be the first time he had been out of Arthur’s sight since his father had made it apparent he expected Merlin to be serving properly and fear gripped Arthur in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

He wasn’t aware of leaving his chair until he had suddenly crossed the room and slammed the door shut from the inch or so Merlin had managed to open it. He kept his palm resting on the door, making sure his strength was holding it shut even if Merlin pulled against him.

“Let me out.”

“No.” Arthur knew his tone was similar to how it had been when Merlin had first arrived and Arthur had been pretending that it hadn’t been getting to him. Judging by the flash in Merlin’s eyes, he recognised the voice as well.

“If you’re going to be such a prat, I don’t want to be in here with you. Let me out or so help me, I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Without truly thinking through what he was doing, Arthur had rested both hands against the door, crowding Merlin against it and penning him in. He made sure there was space between them, but it was quite apparent that Merlin wasn’t going to get out without his say so.

Merlin swallowed hard. If Arthur wasn’t imagining things, his eyes flickered down to Arthur’s lips before back up to his eyes. This time, he stared so intently that Arthur didn’t dare blink, he didn’t dare too.

“What will you do then, _Mer_ lin?” Arthur pressed, drawling out the man’s name in a way he had never done before. Merlin looked like he was about to say something, but then colour flooded his cheeks. Instead of saying anything, he grabbed the front of Arthur’s shirt and yanked him closer.

Before Arthur could protest, lips had pressed against his. It was uncertain and nervous and Merlin pulled back almost as quickly as he had started the action.

“Oh no you don’t,” Arthur murmured, moving his hand from the door. He slid it around Merlin’s cheek, pulling him closer again. As his fingers curled into the hair at the top of Merlin’s neck, he found himself kissing him like he had never kissed anyone before. Merlin had jerked him off and Arthur had taken him, but this was the first time they had kissed. It suddenly felt like the most important thing in the world and Arthur had no intention of breaking it.

Before long, however, he knew he had to breathe and pulled back, softly resting his forehead against Merlin’s. His hand was still curled into Merlin’s hair and he realised that Merlin’s hands were resting comfortably against his waist, fingers curled as he held Arthur back.

“What did you do that for?” Arthur asked. “I thought you hated me for the other day?”

“Prat,” Merlin murmured, but when Arthur looked at him, his eyes were still closed and there was a soft smile playing over his face. “You know I don’t blame you for that. You know full well that I took the first step before that. I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks now, only things got a bit out of control.”

“Why?” Arthur was genuinely confused. He was still Merlin’s master at the end of the day; he stood between the man and his freedom and Merlin was kissing him. It had made more sense when he had been trying to kill him. His words were enough to make Merlin pull back and the servant looked him deeply in the eyes.

“You’re a good man,” he said simply. When Arthur’s eyebrows raised in astonishment, one of Merlin’s hands left his waist and came up to cup his cheek, stopping Arthur from looking away. “I’ve been sharing a bed with you for weeks, do you really think that I didn’t know you wanted me?”

Arthur flushed. He had never really thought through that Merlin might not always sleep the night through and that he would be witness to Arthur’s reactions to being so close to him. But Merlin’s hand on his face didn’t move. If anything, he exerted more pressure to stop Arthur from so much as thinking of glancing away.

“But you didn’t touch me. And when you were given the opening to do what you wanted, you fought back. You’ve protected me from the first day I’ve been here, you haven’t let my demons find and defeat me. How could I not like you?”

This time, Merlin chuckled at the blush that was covering Arthur’s face. No one had ever sounded so earnest when talking about him like that. The gentle side of him was something he genuinely tried to hide, knowing his father wouldn’t approve. He had learnt long ago that putting on a front was just part of being a prince and that was going to continue for as long as he lived. He never thought he would be able to be himself around someone, and yet that had been precisely what he had been doing around Merlin. Maybe it was because the man was always in his rooms, but Arthur had just forgotten after the first month or so to keep his defences up.

“But I want to know,” Merlin continued, his voice soft and no longer sounding as sure. He dropped his gaze rather than look Arthur in the eye. “Is whether you like me back or whether you just want me. Because if it is just want for you, then I can’t do it. It’s not fair.”

“Hey,” Arthur said softly, knowing it was his turn to reassure Merlin now. He moved his hand until he could rest a finger under his chin and tilt his head up to face him. “I’ve liked you since the first time you tried to kill me. You know how many slaves I’ve seen come through this castle?”

Merlin stiffened at his words and Arthur pressed on before he got the wrong impression. “And not one of them would even look me in the eye, let alone attack me. You’re not afraid.”

“Not of you. I am of your father,” Merlin whispered, almost sounding as if admitting it would be enough for Arthur to suddenly change his mind. Instead, the prince found himself laughing.

“So am I, he’s a bastard,” he regretted it the second he said it. Merlin’s head shot up so fast that it must have cricked his neck and Arthur knew there was no taking it back now. But he couldn’t let Merlin find out how deep his hatred towards the king ran. If Uther ever had Merlin tortured, the less he knew the better for his own protection.

“Really?”

“Can we stop talking about my father now?” Arthur whined, trying to use the childish tone to his voice as a way of changing the subject. It worked for Merlin chuckled and leant closer. This time, he rested his head on Arthur’s shoulder and the prince found his arms coming up to hold him. They stood there for a moment before Arthur suddenly cleared his throat.

“Go on, then. Go to Morgana and let me get some work done in peace.”

“I wasn’t doing anything to distract, you were being sulky.”

“Merlin, you being in the room distracts me,” Arthur said seriously, feeling proud of himself for the brilliant blush that shot across the man’s face. Arthur let go of the door and Merlin escaped out of it before either of them could say anything else. It was getting dangerously close to becoming sentimental and Arthur knew that would take them across a bridge that he wasn’t ready to face yet.

Throwing himself back into his chair, he sighed as he stared at the reports in front of him. Merlin might have left the room, but Arthur had no idea how he was supposed to focus now that he could still feel the softness of Merlin’s lips against his.

Deciding that he should do something to show Merlin he cared (Arthur was ashamed that Merlin had had no idea how deep his feelings ran), Arthur found himself staring into the fireplace as he tried to think about what the man would accept.

But he didn’t get very far before a knock sounded on the door. Bidding them to enter, Arthur kept his gaze impassive as a guard handed him a note before bowing his way out of the room again. Arthur locked the door behind before ripping it open.

A few seconds later and he was throwing the note into the fireplace, making sure the flames were quick to catch before sinking back into his seat and running his fingers through his hair as he blew out a long breath.

This was what he had been waiting for, ever since he had sent Lancelot out there. But now he just had to find a way to persuade Merlin to ride into the forest. Considering what had just happened, Arthur had a feeling he knew precisely what to do. He would just have to excuse himself once he got there, for he had no intention of being present when Merlin had the chance to be reunited with his mother. Especially not as it would be on borrowed time only. Until Elyan understood the collars, there was no escape for a slave.

No matter how much their master might wish it otherwise.

MMM

“No way.” Merlin knew he shouldn’t speak to Arthur like that, especially not outside of his rooms. But hearing the prince say that he liked him back had given him a confidence that he hadn’t even realised he had been lacking before. He no longer felt as if Arthur was just looking out for him by protecting him, but that they were on more of an even footing.

Still, the rest of the castle and Camelot saw him as Arthur’s slave and if word got back to the king about his behaviour, they would both be forced to suffer the consequences.

Yet right now, that wasn’t a good enough reason for Merlin. Arthur had known how much it had taken out of him just going down to the lower town, and that had been with a close friend waiting for them there. Now the prince was suggesting a ride out into the forest and Merlin was staring at him like he had lost his mind. He knew Arthur felt cooped up in the castle – he had been disappearing on rides over the last few months anyway. But this was the first time he had asked Merlin to come with him and the warlock didn’t like the idea of that much open space. Arthur’s rooms meant safety, the castle offered some sort of protection. But outside?

“You can’t make me.”

As soon as he said it, Merlin knew he had just offered the prince a challenge. They had made it halfway down the corridor before Arthur had revealed where they were going and his announcement made Merlin simply dig his heels in and refuse to take another step. Now, however, before he could stop him, Arthur grabbed hold of his arm and in one movement had Merlin over his shoulder.

It didn’t matter how hard he beat upon the man’s back, Arthur just strode casually along the corridor and towards the stables as he had always intended. It didn’t escape Merlin’s notice – even hanging upside down – that he was taking routes where there was less chance of being seen.

That didn’t stop Merlin from glaring impressively when he was finally set the right way up again and found that they were in the stables. Even more annoying was that Arthur had clearly sent word for two horses were already saddled, tacked and ready to go. Merlin had no chance to make his escape and so found himself mounting while Arthur held the reigns. Merlin couldn’t believe the prince didn’t let go even while he mounted himself, as if not trusting Merlin wouldn’t simply bolt the second he turned his back. Merlin wasn’t even sure where he would go, let alone the fact the cuffs around his wrists meant Arthur could have stopped him through other methods. But Merlin knew by now Arthur would never do that, so he settled for simply glaring rather than complaining.

It had been so long since he had last ridden a horse that Merlin found he simply didn’t have the energy to complain at Arthur as they rode out of the courtyard. He was too busy trying to find his rhythm on the horse so it didn’t feel like every step they took was sending agonising cramps up his legs. Arthur slowed the pace once they were away from prying eyes but although Merlin could sense the prince watching him closely, he just gritted his teeth. Arthur had managed to get him out here when Merlin had said he hadn’t wanted to. The warlock was not going to give him the satisfaction.

They rode for most of the morning. Merlin assumed that they would continue like that for the rest of the day and made sure that he was getting the hang of it – he wanted to be able to walk when they returned to the castle. But just as he thought the rhythm was beginning to come to him, Arthur reigned to a halt and gestured for Merlin to do the same.

To Merlin’s utmost surprise, the prince dismounted. Merlin followed suit but knew that he more fell off the horse than anything else. The fact that he landed on his feet was good enough for him though and he used the saddle as a way of holding himself upright, blinking in surprise as Arthur handed him the reigns of his own horse.

“Take the horses in there and secure them. Wait for me in there, I won’t be long.”

“But…”

“Just do as you’re told.” Arthur walked off without another word. For a moment, Merlin could only stare after him. He thought he had broken Arthur out of his mood a few days ago when he had kissed him. The prince had certainly seemed happier. Deciding that it was just easier to do as he was told if Arthur was in this sort of mood, Merlin dutifully led the horses into the clearing.

It was only when he had managed to get both secured to the branch, cursing as he did so, did Merlin realise he wasn’t alone. He jumped, suddenly aware of another presence even though the other person hadn’t made any sudden movements. Merlin ducked out from behind the horse, only to realise he was being watched intently.

But he was staring back just as hard, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Shakily, he stepped forward, his knees threatening to buckle with every step that he took. But within just a few he was close enough to be sure.

“Mother?” His voice was a shaky whisper, but her reaction was enough to tell him he was right. She gave a cry, running forward and pulling him into her arms as if he was nothing more than a child. For once, Merlin didn’t mind, returning the embrace with everything that he had and unable to believe this was really happening.

After a while, gentle hands pushed him back, cupping his face. Eyes scanned his features closely, looking for signs of what had happened. Merlin put up with it, knowing it was the only way she would be satisfied that he was alright. At least, as alright as he could be. But when his mother’s hands started to caress his cheek lightly before running down his neck, clearly checking for signs of injuries, Merlin realised too late what she was going to find.

Her fingers brushed against the collar, hidden under one of the many scarves that Arthur had commissioned for him and she froze. Fear filled her face and Merlin knew up until then she had hoped he had managed to escape and just knew it was too dangerous to come home. But that collar said it all; there was no escape for him now. He had been enslaved and would remain that way most likely for the rest of his life.

“Hey,” catching his mother’s hands in his own, Merlin carefully pulled them away from his neck but held them tightly. “I’m okay.”

As soon as he said it, he knew it to be true. After all, with Arthur as a master it wasn’t as if he could be anything else – anything he wanted the prince found a way of getting to him. Everything negative that had happened to him since being torn from his home had occurred because of Uther, not Arthur.

“But… Oh my poor boy.”

For a moment, Merlin could only hold his mother, returning the favour as he tried to comfort her. He had missed her so deeply that he didn’t want to see her cry.

“Please don’t,” he whispered, his voice trembling as it betrayed the depths of his emotions. His mother pulled back, wiping her eyes before reaching up to cup his face again. Looking into her gaunt face made Merlin realise precisely what Arthur did for him. A slave should not look healthier than a free woman.

“Tell me about home,” he pleaded. He didn’t know how long they had together until Arthur insisted they returned to Camelot. But Merlin was determined to make the most of it and knew talking about them personally would only result in them both getting upset. They had lost each other, they had lost everything… They had to talk about something to help Merlin return to Camelot. Even now he wasn’t entirely sure how he could leave his mother again.

Taking his hand, Hunith sat them both down on the floor. At her prompting, Merlin lay down, resting his head across her lap the way he had always done as a boy and letting her stroke his hair. It didn’t offer the same comfort as it had done when he was a child; he had been through too much for that innocent motion to scare away his demons now. But it still felt nice and it reminded him of days long gone for him now.

The afternoon passed as mother and son talked. Merlin didn’t know what of – both were careful to avoid saying anything about what had happened since the raiders had come. Merlin knew he couldn’t tell her about Uther and the fact that the king of Camelot seemed to want him. He did slip in how good Arthur was though, making sure that she knew he was being cared for and looked after rather than simply left out on the streets to be raped and beaten. He knew that was what she had been thinking; it was the stories that circled the villages about imprisoned sorcerers. She could see for herself it wasn’t true, he looked too healthy. But it felt nice to be able to praise Arthur to his mother.

Merlin was no fool: his lot could have turned out far worse if he hadn’t been gifted to the prince.

But as the sun drowned the clearing in a fading light, Arthur reappeared. There was another man with him, one that Merlin was sure he recognised. He couldn’t be sure for the man was dressed in casual clothes, but he was convinced it was one of the knights that often guarded Arthur’s door. Seeing him there truly drove it home to Merlin that Arthur had been the one to organise this, probably ever since Merlin had the break down and admitted that he didn’t know if his mother was still alive. Gratitude swelled in him but then he realised what Arthur arriving would mean.

“A little longer, please,” he begged, sitting up as he did so. Arthur looked saddened, but he shook his head.

“We have to get back before nightfall.”

“Please, Arthur… Sire, let me stay.”

“You know I can’t, Merlin,” there was true regret in Arthur’s voice, but he crossed the clearing and took Merlin’s arm, gently drawing him to his feet. His mother stood herself up.

“It’s alright, love. We’ll see each other again.”

“But…”

“Don’t get yourself in trouble on my account.” Although she looked like her heart was breaking, Merlin noticed that his mother was also pulling herself together. She truly didn’t want Merlin to cross Arthur in order to snatch a few more moments and Merlin had to wonder if she understood better about matters of slavery than he did, even after all these months.

“When will I see you again?” He didn’t care how childish he sounded. He had been torn from his home. Up until now, he had had no idea if his mother was even alive. Being parted from her again, knowing he had to return to his new life and she couldn’t come with him hurt. Hunith’s eyes flickered over his shoulder, no doubt looking to the prince, but then she smiled and cupped his cheek.

“Soon, my love. Soon.”

Before Merlin had the chance to say anything else, she had kissed him on the forehead, caressed his cheek and turned away. The knight guided her out and she didn’t look back. Merlin knew why; the shaking of her shoulders gave away how hard she was crying. He made to take a step after them but Arthur caught his wrist.

“We have to go.”

Merlin turned back, eyes shining with an emotion he wasn’t sure he could describe. But he knew Arthur had set this up and before the prince could say anything, he had closed the distance between them.


	13. Chapter 13

Merlin knew that he wasn’t thinking straight, not really. But he couldn’t. Emotions were coursing through his mind and causing him to physically shake as he stepped closer to Arthur than he knew was proper. Without thinking – just reacting – he glanced up at the prince through his eyelashes, leant forward and kissed him.

There was nothing innocent about his kiss, for a plan had formed in Merlin’s head as soon as his lips touched Arthur’s. He felt the prince try to draw away, so Merlin lifted a hand and fisted it roughly in Arthur’s hair, pulling him closer and licking his way into the man’s mouth. Arthur let out a surprised sound that was somewhere between a moan and a gasp and Merlin responded by pressing his knee between Arthur’s legs.

As soon as he felt just how hard the man was already, he knew his plan would work.

He kissed him a little more before drawing back, sinking to his knees and unlacing Arthur’s breeches. This time, there was no denying Arthur’s gasp as Merlin freed him.

“Merlin…”

Merlin wasn’t sure what Arthur was about to say. But the pounding in his head had begun to lessen and he knew if the prince spoke sense, Merlin would realise this would never work. But he wanted it to so badly that he simply licked a stripe up Arthur’s cock and succeeded in silencing the prince in a way words never would.

He wasn’t entirely sure what happened next. But he somehow managed to get Arthur on the floor, his breeches halfway down his legs and his own clothes discarded. Merlin knew he had come too far to go back now. With one hand idly stroking Arthur’s cock – not letting him come but making sure the prince had no chance of rational thought – he reached the other behind himself. With only spit to coat his fingers, he began stretching himself. He needed to be able to walk – no, run – after this, so he had to make sure it didn’t hurt the way it had last time. He had to relax.

He thought it was going to take too long at one point as Arthur’s hips left the floor and he started pushing into Merlin’s grip. But Merlin knew he had to be ready. If he didn’t act soon, it would all be for nothing.

Crawling forward, he held Arthur steady before sinking onto the man. Arthur gave a shout, his hands instantly coming to rest on Merlin’s hips. But Merlin had to give him credit; he didn’t move. Lust filled his eyes and Merlin knew he had judged Arthur’s reaction right. This was only working because the man had wanted him long before he had cared for him – he had guessed how Arthur would react to having Merlin come onto him in such a way. The prince was no longer capable of thinking and Merlin knew this was the chance he had been waiting for. Part of him was guilty using Arthur in such a way, his feelings for the man were genuine. But he wouldn’t live as a slave while his mother was in danger from anyone passing through their village.

Lifting himself up, he slammed back down again. Almost instantly, he could feel Arthur plant his feet flat on the floor and thrust up to meet him. Merlin knew he had to go hard and fast, he had to make sure that his mother didn’t get too far ahead of him. What he hadn’t realised was that seemed to be how Arthur liked it, for when he glanced down at the prince, it was to see him worrying on his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyes closed and his face contorted into a look of such pleasure that Merlin found himself pausing.

Was this really how he made Arthur react?

He was still soft, his mind focused so much on escape that he didn’t seem to realise what his body was doing in order for it to happen. But he could feel Arthur practically pulsing within him and knew the man was only second’s away from coming. Glancing around, Merlin looked for something he could use to knock Arthur out while he was vulnerable and had no way of seeing it coming. Then it would just be a matter of dressing and catching up with the others. Lancelot would no doubt be so worried that Merlin had come without Arthur that he would hurry back to his prince and let Merlin escape. Arthur couldn’t use the cuffs unless he was conscious and Merlin hoped they didn’t work once they were across the border.

He thought the plan was flawless even as his trembling thighs lowered again and Arthur’s fingers tightened on his hips as he jerked inside him.

When the prince fell back, panting, Merlin’s fingers finally found a branch. He lifted it up, glanced down and almost dropped it in surprise to find that Arthur was watching him closely.

“Go on then,” the prince said softly, just a touch of a smirk on his lax face.

“I…” Merlin could see from the look Arthur was giving him that the prince knew exactly what he was planning. But he wasn’t trying to stop it, he didn’t even look like he wanted to.

“It might work,” Arthur whispered, “but only if you hit me hard enough.”

Merlin knew what he was saying. Uther would demand Merlin be brought back as soon as Arthur was conscious, it had to be a hard enough blow to buy them time.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Merlin muttered. If Arthur hadn’t said anything, he would have gone through with it and dealt with the guilty later. But having Arthur look at him with such understanding just reminded him of how far he had come in his emotions for the prince.

“I know. But this is your chance. You have to take it. Please.” Now there was urgency in Arthur’s tone and Merlin knew Arthur was feeling the same as him. The prince had come to care for him, meaning he didn’t want Merlin enslaved any more than Merlin did.

“Merlin, you _idiot_ , go!”

Merlin stared at him before scrambling backwards. He quickly stood and dressed, ignoring the fact there were handprints on his hips. He risked a glance at Arthur as he pulled on his breeches, only to find the prince was watching him hungrily. As soon as Arthur realised he had been caught looking, however, he glanced away and set about fixing his own clothing. It was clear now he was being given a chance that he would prefer to be knocked out without making it apparent quite what they had been doing in order for Merlin to distract him. He kept his back turned once he was done though.

“Don’t let it hit my neck,” he ordered and Merlin knew this was it. Choking out an apology, he swung as hard as he could and felt sickened by the thud that filled the air, especially as it was followed by a second one as Arthur collapsed to the floor. Merlin hurried forward and rolled him over, instantly blowing out a breath of relief when he felt Arthur’s pulse steady under his fingers. Colour had drained from the man’s face and Merlin pushed his hair back tenderly.

“Thank you,” he whispered. It was strange now he was thinking about it. He hadn’t been the slightest bit afraid when he realised that Arthur had caught him out. Instead, he had just felt guilt over the fact he still had to hurt him. It was as if he had known deep down that Arthur would let him take this chance, no matter what Merlin had to do to ensure that he could get far enough away.

Compassion welled within him in a way he didn’t think he had ever witnessed before. Bending forward, Merlin pressed a gentle kiss to Arthur’s forehead, but knew that he had to move. Every second he lingered was a step away from the border and potential safety.

With one final glance back at the fallen prince, Merlin sped into the undergrowth. He made sure he could see the path that his mother and Lancelot had taken, but didn’t follow it himself. He had to make sure they were far enough away from Arthur that Lancelot only thought about getting back to him rather than dragging Merlin back with him. But it didn’t take long before adrenaline began to flood Merlin in a way it hadn’t done since he had been captured. None of his attempts on Arthur’s life had done this to him because he knew he wouldn’t have made it out of the castle, he had just been desperate. But this time, he actually had a chance of making it to freedom. Magic wasn’t outlawed in Cendred’s kingdom, although Merlin had always kept his gifts secret. But surely someone there would have the power to release him from the cuffs and the collar? They would move away from Ealdor, make sure they were far enough away from the border, settle down and start again.

He actually had a second chance.

At least, he did for the fifteen minutes or so he tracked the path. But then he heard a noise from behind him, something that made his blood run cold. Voices. Not voices he recognised, but gruff and crude ones, jeering and swearing as a group passed by somewhere close. Merlin found himself staring at the path, then twisting and looking back the way he had come.

Arthur was back there, unconscious because of him. So were their horses. The horses would be enough for any bandit to release that Arthur had money, even if they didn’t recognise him as the prince. Arthur couldn’t defend himself, he had no way of protecting himself from them because of Merlin.

But this was the only chance he would have at escaping, for Merlin was sure it was far too dangerous for Arthur to organise another outing that could end the same way as this one had.

Biting his lip, Merlin stared first one way, then another.

But suddenly, the voices stopped. Before he could stop himself, Merlin found himself creeping as fast as he could back the way he had come. He had only closed a small distance when someone spoke again.

“Let’s take him.”

“Let’s kill him,” another argued. Merlin cursed himself. Why did he think it would be a good idea to leave the Crown Prince of Camelot unconscious in the middle of the forest?

“He can’t pay if he’s dead,” the first retorted and Merlin almost found himself breathing in relief when he heard the second voice agree. For a moment, he wasn’t sure why. But as his speed picked up into a run, he knew. It meant that he still had time to get to Arthur before he was killed. Merlin knew he would never have forgiven himself otherwise.

He thought he had made it a reasonable distance from the clearing when he had first stopped. But he had been going cautiously to make sure he wasn’t detected. He made it back in under half the time, bursting into the clearing and causing five men to look at him in surprise. They were all at least three times his size, heavily armed and unpleasant sneers on their faces that indicated they knew what to do with each and every weapon. One man had a rough hold on Arthur while another man had been tying the prince’s hands behind his back. Even as Merlin watched, he was convinced he could see Arthur stirring, fighting his way back to consciousness. But he wouldn’t be lucid enough to help himself. Nor would he be able to help his slave.

For Merlin had just realised every bandit had turned to face him. One finished Arthur’s knots and dropped the prince unceremoniously back to the ground. Merlin found himself straightening up.

“Come on then,” he challenged, hoping his bravado would make them think twice about attacking him. Or at least buy him enough time until Arthur could get to a sword and sort out the situation.

MMM

A soft groan escaped from Arthur’s throat and he inwardly cursed when his eyes flickered open to see the light was almost the same as when he had lost consciousness. That was not nearly enough time for Merlin to get away. If he was found now, he knew Merlin wouldn’t be far enough away; the cuffs would still be active and Arthur would have no choice but to bring him back. And if the king found out…

The thought was enough to make Arthur lurch his full way to consciousness. Staying in a state halfway between waking and unconsciousness was not going to solve anything. But as he did, Arthur suddenly realised that his arms were pinned behind his back and a swift movement revealed his hands were bound. The rope was coarse but the knot lose, almost as if whoever had tied him was disturbed. Had Merlin really wasted time in tying him up when he should have been running?

“Come on then.”

Arthur blinked, startled. Merlin. What was the slave still doing here? He should be far away by now, he should…

Who was he talking to?

Arthur blamed the blow to his head (one he couldn’t help but feel must have been pathetic if he was conscious already) for the reason why it had taken him so long to think of it. But if they had been alone when he had lost consciousness, who had Merlin found in that time? He had to look around, he had to know what was going on.

It took a great deal of effort, not helped by the fact that his hands were bound behind his back. But eventually, Arthur managed to roll over, only to feel his jaw drop in surprise. Although deep down he knew it wasn’t going to be good news that other people were with them (the fact that he was bound gave that one away), he hadn’t expected to be looking at the back of five men who were all larger than him. He had heard reports on bandits venturing closer to the castle thanks to the patrols his knights regularly went on. But with the slavers roaming freely as well – and them being employed by the castle, much to Arthur’s disgust – it was hard to truly reinforce something to stop problems arising. Of course, it was only now that Arthur was realising precisely how close they were getting.

But his second reaction was one of anger and just a touch of fear when he realised who they were advancing on. What Merlin was even still doing here, Arthur had no idea. But he knew his slave didn’t stand a chance against men like that.

“Hey!” Making it into a kneeling position, Arthur let his voice carry. With any luck, Lancelot would be in earshot and Arthur knew there was no one better with a sword in his hand. But even if that wasn’t the case, it was enough to make the men turn.

“He’s awake.”

“I can see that. Find out who he is.” Although their voices were low and rough, Arthur was taking note of what was happening. Whoever had spoken second seemed to be the man in charge and Arthur fixed his gaze firmly on that one. He didn’t so much as glance at the others, making them feel they were beneath him.

“Prince Arthur of Camelot,” he said confidently. He could just about see Merlin and could see the man’s eyes widen in astonishment that Arthur would tell the truth. But Arthur knew it was the easiest way to make them forget about his slave, and right now that was all he was focusing on. “And you are?”

“None of your business,” the leader pushed through his men, gesturing to one of them. The man nodded and circled behind Merlin, taking him by surprise and grabbing his arms. Within seconds, Merlin was struggling fruitlessly against him, his face twisting in pain as he tried to get free.

“Merlin,” Arthur called, a hint of a command in his voice. Merlin looked over and instantly understood what Arthur was saying. He relaxed in the man’s hold and Arthur could see that it had stopped hurting him so much. By this time, however, the lead bandit had reached Arthur, his hand fisting in his hair as he wrenched his head back to look at him.

“You don’t look much like a prince.”

“You don’t look much like a man,” Arthur retorted, knowing that making him angry was his best course of action. It might be dangerous, but it would stop him thinking rationally and would therefore leave him open to mistakes. The man let go but drew his knife with a sneer.

“You won’t get much of a ransom if I’m dead,” Arthur kept his voice light and cheerful, knowing that he didn’t look the slightest bit worried by the knife. If he was honest, he wasn’t. Fear didn’t have a place in his mind right now, not when he was trying to plan getting both himself and Merlin out of this alive.

“How much will the king pay?”

“If my servant delivers the message, a lot.”

“Why him?”

“You think the king is going to believe you if you just waltz into the castle and claim you have me?” Arthur could see the man thinking it over and held his breath. He could only hope that this would be enough to get Merlin out of it. But as the bandit backed off a step, Arthur had a sinking feeling that these were the more callous type of men, the ones who weren’t afraid to hurt people to get what they wanted rather than being all talk.

“And will the king pay more if he knows that we are willing to do whatever it takes?”

“What do you mean?” Arthur’s blood ran cold. Somehow, this was backfiring and he hadn’t yet worked out the path it was now travelling. His hands twisted in their bonds, wanting to be free.

“One only needs a tongue to deliver a message,” the bandit said coldly, and Arthur had a feeling the man knew all along what Arthur had been trying to do. He drew a cruel looking danger and smirked at Arthur before turning his back on the prince.

“Hold him,” he ordered his men. One closed in on Arthur, kneeling behind him and looping an arm around his neck, holding him fast. The others all made sure that Merlin was pinned as their leader advanced, his knife coming to rest just below Merlin’s eye.

“Don’t you dare,” Arthur said. His voice was soft and dangerous, none of the taunting tone from before. “You touch him and I’ll kill you myself.”

The leader seemed to realise that Arthur was being deadly serious, for he glanced back at him.

“I’d watch your tongue if I were you, princeling. After all, your father will pay to have you back as long as you can stick your dick in some princess and give him more heirs. You don’t need to be able to talk to do that.”

Arthur found himself flushing at the crudeness of the man’s words. The problem was, he had a feeling the bandit might be right. Uther had to know that his son didn’t have the same trust and respect that he had done when he was young. He had to have realised there were many things that Arthur wasn’t happy about. Therefore a mute prince was one far easier to control; Uther would still pay to get him back if Arthur had been silenced and Arthur knew his expression had just given it away. The bandits now knew that, so there was nothing to stop them from carrying out their threats.

But it seemed that Merlin wasn’t prepared to let Arthur be hurt first. While the leader’s attention was on the prince, he had lifted a foot and lashed out as hard as he could. The man dropped to one knee as his other knee buckled beneath Merlin’s foot, but there was a growl in his throat as he rose again. Knowing at this rate they were going to be lucky to get out of it alive at all, Arthur somehow forced himself to his feet, shaking off his own captor just long enough to do so.

“Enough of this!” The man shouted, clearly realising he was losing control of the situation despite the fact that he outnumbered his prisoners and both were restrained.

“Yes,” a quiet voice said. Arthur found that he was looking around to see who it belonged to before realising with a start it had come from Merlin. The servant somehow sounded confident and dangerous; everything Arthur knew him to not be.

“It is enough.”

Then Merlin was screaming. Arthur yelled at them to leave him alone before realising they were. The men had backed off, just as Merlin had started to yell. Whatever was causing him the agonising pain that Arthur could hear in his voice wasn’t something they were doing. But as Merlin looked up, Arthur thought he might have stopped breathing.

Merlin was doing it to himself.

Somehow, despite the collar around his neck, Merlin’s eyes were glowing gold.

It only lasted a few seconds. The gold flickered, then died. Merlin gave him one helpless look before his eyes rolled up in his head and he blacked out. Arthur winced as he hit the floor with a thud, realising he was going to feel that when he woke up again.

But then his mind stopped telling him what had just happened was impossible. For Arthur knew he wasn’t imaging it. The knot he had been fighting helplessly against since realising he was tied had come undone and there was no bandit at his back. Arthur wrenched his hands free and cast a glance over his shoulder to see the man unconscious on the floor.

Without waiting to see if the others had realised that Merlin had done magic, he lunged for the bandit’s sword. It was a short one, not at all like the ones Arthur was used to fighting with. But he still knew what to do enough to have three of the men dead. Only the leader was left by the time that Arthur turned his attention to the man. This time, it was his throat that the growl escaped from. The man had grabbed hold of Merlin’s unconscious form and was holding a knife to his throat.

“Drop it,” he ordered, gesturing to Arthur’s sword. Weighing up the odds, Arthur knew he had more chance of taking the man in hand-to-hand combat anyway, and that would mean his opponent would have to let go of Merlin. But before Arthur had the chance to even suggest the fight, the man’s mouth opened in surprise and he gave a grunt of pain. He let go of Merlin, who hit the floor for a second time, before slowly collapsing himself.

Behind him, a bloody sword in his hand and an expression of confusion on his face, stood Lancelot.

“Mind if I ask what I just interrupted, Sire?” He said pleasantly, wiping his blade on some grass to clean it. Arthur shook his head and hurried to Merlin’s side, rolling him over and wincing when he saw how pale he was. Not realising he was repeating his servant’s earlier actions, Arthur rested his fingers against Merlin’s neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse.

“I have no idea,” Arthur said, blunt and honest. The thought at the back of his mind came back in full force as he sat there, in the mud, and cradled his servant. It wasn’t possible. Nimueh was powerful and she had never done anything of the sort.

But somehow, Merlin had just used magic.


	14. Chapter 14

Merlin had been beaten and attacked more times than he liked to recall over the last few months. Ever since the slavers had burst into his home, all he had truly known was pain. He knew it could have been a lot worse if Arthur hadn’t proved to be a decent man despite who his father was.

But even if Arthur had been worse than Uther, Merlin wasn’t sure it would touch on the pain that he was feeling right now.

Every nerve in his body was on fire, every sense screaming at him. He tried to open his eyes, and even the small slit he managed send stabbing pains through his head. A whimper reached his ears but it took a moment before Merlin realised it had come from him. He lay still, trying to force his body to relax and pleading with his mind to allow him to drift back into the darkness. While he knew that wasn’t good, it had to be better to escape from the pain he was feeling right now.

“Merlin?” Although the voice was soft and gentle, it was still enough to make Merlin want to scream. He could feel his face screwing up as he tried to force himself to open his eyes again. Hot tears were leaking involuntarily from the corners of his eyes, but the very thought of lifting a hand to wipe them away was almost too much for him. Someone else got there first though, for the gentle sensation of someone running their thumb across his cheek made him sigh.

That sort of touch didn’t hurt.

He knew it was Arthur. No one else would sound that concerned about him, no one else would touch him in such a tender way. But he didn’t understand why. Arthur had been bound, barely conscious the last time that Merlin had seen him. How was it that the prince was now the one comforting him rather than the other way around? Why would Arthur even want to when Merlin had knocked him out and been the reason why Arthur had been caught in the first place?

“I can see you trying to think,” the same voice said, the tone laced with gentle amusement this time. “And I’m ordering you to stop it before you hurt yourself even more.”

This time, Merlin managed to force his eyes open. He had to bite his lip to stop himself from crying out, but after blinking a few times, he felt as if he could handle the light a little better. To his surprise, he was lying on Arthur’s bed. He was dressed warmly and tucked under the covers, apart from his arms that were resting over the blankets. The prince was slumped in a chair next to him and Merlin managed a smile at seeing that Arthur’s hand was resting over his own. Judging by how exhausted Arthur looked, Merlin wasn’t sure the man even knew what he was doing.

“How you feeling?” Merlin muttered. His voice was quiet, but he was quite impressed with how steady it sounded. It seemed that talking didn’t hurt. Arthur had a small smile on his face as he glanced at Merlin.

“Don’t you think I should be asking you that?”

“Why?” Merlin knew something must have happened. Even if the bandit had tried to kill him, he was sure it wouldn’t hurt this much. After all, that would only target one part of his body whereas the pain had spread from his toes to his head. No bandit could cause this much damage.

“You don’t remember?” There was an edge to Arthur’s voice this time, a tone that suggested this was not going to be an easy conversation. Merlin attempted to shift as he tried to think about the last thing he could recall happening, but it only forced another cry to escape him. He had half managed to raise himself for a split second, but was panting weakly against the pillows before he remembered dropping back. Arthur’s hand left his and gently brushed his hair back from his forehead.

“Don’t move, you idiot,” he scolded, his voice caring. As soon as Merlin felt himself being able to breathe properly, Arthur disappeared. Merlin wasn’t ashamed of the cry that slipped from him again, but when he heard the door closing softly and the lock turning, he knew that Arthur was still with him. Not being able to move without practically blacking out made him feel vulnerable in a way even Uther’s restraints never had. Arthur was back before Merlin had the chance to think any more on what he was missing.

“What do you last remember?”

“The bandits had you. They were holding me, I couldn’t help. I wanted to, so badly. I thought they were going to kill you…”

“Don’t worry,” Arthur interrupted. Merlin realised that he had slowly begun to panic when he thought about how trapped they had both been. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths. They were home and they were safe, that was what mattered.

“One was coming for you. They wanted to finish it. Then… nothing.”

“I’m not surprised,” Arthur sighed, running a free hand through his hair. “Merlin… you used magic.”

“Don’t be stupid.” Merlin didn’t mean to sound harsh, but considering the pain he was in, he couldn’t deal with Arthur playing with him like that. The prince, however, just continued to watch him steadily.

“I know what I saw. I know the rope loosened on its own. Your eyes went gold. Then you collapsed.”

“What?” His word was nothing more than an escaping breath as he stared at Arthur. He would have denied it if Arthur hadn’t said his eyes had gone gold. How else would the prince know if it wasn’t for that? The pain, the weakness… Somehow, Merlin forced a hand to his neck and touched the collar. As he did so, he felt cloth slipped between it and his neck.

“It was burning you,” Arthur said, watching him closely. “Gaius wasn’t sure how long it would carry on feeling hot, we had to protect you somehow.”

“Gaius?” Merlin felt a frown cross his face as he stared up at the canopy above him. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days,” Arthur said, his voice just as soft as Merlin’s. “I - we – that is… Gaius wasn’t sure you would make it. You’re not supposed to be able to use it.”

“You don’t say,” Merlin muttered, realising there was a lump in his throat. If he was honest, he was scared. What did it mean that he had been able to use magic? Admittedly the cost meant he wouldn’t be trying it again in a hurry. But he had been desperate when he had first been brought to the castle. He had tried using it then, terrified for his life and more. Uther himself had seen the results when it had first been forced back into him. Merlin hadn’t even managed to get his power to the surface that time before it had backfired.

“Why?” He wasn’t entirely sure if he had spoken out loud or not. But the look on Arthur’s face revealed that he had heard.

“I’m not sure. Gaius has a theory, but it’s crazy, stupid even…” Arthur was looking so uncomfortable that Merlin found that he wanted to know. When he voiced that out loud, the prince just looked at him in exasperation.

“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

Merlin shook his head, then instantly bit his lip as he tried to swallow the pain his actions had brought. Arthur sighed.

“Fine. But it’s stupid…”

“Just tell me.”

“He thinks it worked this time because you were trying to save me. That somehow what you were feeling overcame self-preservation. That’s why it hasn’t worked before because it knew it would kill you so some deep down part of you held back. But when it came to helping me…”

“You were right, that is stupid,” Merlin muttered, feeling his face going red even as Arthur finished speaking. There was the same amused look on Arthur’s face that had been present when he had first been gifted with a slave. But Merlin could see the underlying fondness and before he knew what he was doing, his fingers had uncurled and managed to wrap themselves around Arthur’s.

He was dismissing it to Arthur’s face, but he wasn’t so sure inside. Forcing his mind to think back to the last thing he remembered feeling, it was utter fury. Not fear. Anger. Anger that someone was going to hurt Arthur and there was nothing he could do about it. He had realised long ago that he cared for Arthur more than he should. But now it seemed that might have been morphing into something else.

“Will it free me?” he found himself whispering. It was every cliché he could think of; his feelings for his captor being the thing that could set him free. But considering everything that had happened over the last few days, he would take any chance at freedom he could get. Arthur shook his head.

“I’m not sure. But you’re certainly not strong enough to try again. Merlin, listen to me… I need you to give me your word you won’t try.”

“Arthur…”

“I will not have you kill yourself. I will find a way to get the collar off, but not at the cost of your life.”

There was a tone to Arthur’s voice that Merlin didn’t think he had ever heard before. It was raw passion, a determination to set things right. He had known all along that Arthur was fighting against the system his father was imposing, but this seemed to be the first time the prince was consciously letting Merlin know about it.

“Do I have your word?” Realising that he had been so lost in thought and hadn’t actually answered, Merlin made to nod. At the last second, he stopped himself, realising it would just hurt.

“You have it,” he muttered, hating it but realising Arthur had a point. He had never thought his death would grant him his freedom, he wasn’t about to start now. Arthur seemed to sag in relief and he moved away from the bed. It was only now that Merlin truly appreciated that he had been unconscious for two days; Arthur looked awful. If he owned anything to bet, he would have said that he hadn’t slept in those two days.

“Thank you,” Arthur murmured. Merlin watched him before realising there was something on his mind.

“How did you know what I was going to do?” he blurted out, colouring when Arthur looked at him. He had been trying to drive the prince to such ecstasy that Arthur wouldn’t have the chance to think.

“You were soft,” Arthur responded, refusing to meet his eye. “I knew it wasn’t real for you. You wouldn’t use sex unless it was for a reason. When I realised you weren’t reacting, I knew you were planning something.”

Merlin knew he was the colour of a beetroot. He had only been thinking about distracting Arthur. It had never crossed his mind that Arthur had been watching him as closely, wanting it to be real. After all, no one had ever denied the prince had wanted him from the beginning.

“Are you angry?”

“No,” Arthur said quietly, but Merlin could detect a flicker of hurt in his voice. “I should have known it would never be real between us, that you would never truly feel that way.”

And with those words, he unlocked the door and left. Merlin crashed back into the pillows, feeling utterly wretched. No wonder Arthur thought Gaius’ theory was stupid. They had been forced by Uther and Merlin had used it as a weapon.

Considering they had as good as admitted they felt for each other, nothing physical between them had ever been real.

And as he lay there thinking about it, Merlin realised he wanted it to be.

MMM

Arthur dug his palms into his eyes, hoping it would alleviate his headache. He knew it was partly due to the blow that Merlin had delivered him. Gaius had said the pain would take a few days before it eased, and although a few days had passed, Arthur hadn’t slept. He had been scared that if he closed his eyes, Merlin would slip away from him. How being awake was going to make any difference, he had no idea. But he was stubborn and young and had refused to lie down.

This time, however, he knew that the blow wasn’t the only reason. He had just made it through a dinner with his father and wondered how he had managed to not bring up his food halfway through. Morgana had feigned a headache and left early, meaning Arthur – with a real headache – had been forced to sit through it. They had eaten, but his father – probably knowing how uncomfortable it made Arthur – had Nimueh attend. The sounds coming from under the table was enough to make anyone squirm and Arthur knew his father’s breeches were undone and Nimueh was pleasuring him even while the king admonished his son on being defeated by bandits.

Arthur had tried to focus on the conversation, but knowing what was happening had caused the anger to rise in him. It wasn’t so much that he felt for Nimueh, he knew they had a twisted relationship and it was as if she enjoyed the force his father delivered to her. But it was the fact the situation could even happen; that slaves existed in Camelot and he had one himself. It was only a quick thinking retort that made his father believe that Merlin was left tied to the bed waiting for him as a punishment rather than being here and copying Nimueh that stopped the boy from being summoned. Arthur wasn’t sure if his father would have wanted to do it for Arthur’s benefit, or for his own.

But although their conversation was somewhat neutral compared to the arguments that had been happening lately, Arthur had still felt ill by the time he had returned to his chambers. Merlin seemed to be asleep, so Arthur had just poked the fire and crashed down at his desk.

It was only then he realised just how much his head was pounding.

Letting out a sigh, he rested his hand over his eyes so that the flickering flames didn’t hurt his vision. Breathing deeply through his nose, Arthur tried to control the pain. He was a warrior, a soldier. He could handle a headache.

“Arthur?” Merlin’s voice was soft, but Arthur only grunted in response. Was there anything else he had missed considering he had thought his servant was asleep? He didn’t want to look around, for movement right now seemed to be out of the question. He tuned out, deciding that staying in the here and how just hurt too much.

It meant that when he felt slender fingers on his temples, he jumped in surprise. His hand lowered and he glanced up to see Merlin standing behind him.

“Headache?”

“Mm,” Arthur muttered, not wanting to nod but not really wanting to talk either. He wasn’t entirely sure if opening his mouth at all was a good idea, he thought he might throw up. Footsteps sounded before he realised Merlin had move to stand between him and the fire, blocking out the light. Arthur instantly felt his eyes relax.

“Looks like a bad one,” Merlin murmured, kneeling down in front of him and reaching up again. Arthur made some sort of attempt to catch his wrists, but he missed and just let his hands fall back into his lap as Merlin’s fingers once again began softly massaging his temples. To his surprise, a long groan escaped Arthur’s throat as the pressure helped stop the pounding in his mind and his eyes fell shut, losing himself to the feeling of Merlin’s fingers.

“Where’d you learn that?” He asked quietly, the nausea ebbing away enough for him to feel like he could talk. He opened his eyes, looking down at Merlin.

“My mother. I used to get such bad headaches when I was first experiencing just how powerful my magic was. She always soothed them away like this.” Merlin’s voice was gentle and he didn’t seem to mind talking about his mother, not the way he had become upset when talking about his home. He was biting his lip in concentration and with the fire illuminating him from behind, Arthur found that he looked beautiful. Before he knew what he was doing, his hand had risen from his lap and cupped Merlin’s cheek.

Even though Merlin’s fingers didn’t stop what they were doing, Arthur could feel the smile against his palm.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin whispered. “About before. I didn’t mean for it to make you feel like I didn’t want it. I did. I just wanted to go home.”

“You don’t have to explain,” Arthur murmured. Now the pain was ebbing away, he could feel exhaustion setting in. He wanted to do nothing more than sleep, but the idea of moving across to the bed was beyond him right now.

“I do,” Merlin continued, dropping his hands and looking up at Arthur. His eyes really were a shocking blue, the prince decided. “Gaius was right. I couldn’t let anything happen to you. I’m not even sure I would have caught up with them. I felt too guilty leaving you like that.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I think… I don’t think I can escape.” Merlin muttered. Arthur understood what he wasn’t saying. He could go if Arthur set him free. But he was never going to escape without it looking real, and that meant going through Arthur. Arthur just wasn’t sure what it meant. Merlin should take every chance at freedom, and he hated that he might stand in the way of that.

Arthur found his fingers back on Merlin’s face, this time exerting a little pressure in order to force the man to look up at him.

“You have to.”

“Arthur…”

“You think I want you here like this?” Arthur found himself snapping, his headache forgotten as he glared down at his servant. “Don’t you get it yet?”

Merlin dropped his gaze and pulled away from Arthur. Arthur let him go. He didn’t know what it was going to take to get it through to Merlin that he cared about him and cared what happened to him. It was why he had let him go through with the plan, despite it leaving him unconscious and vulnerable in the forest.

Merlin stood, turning his back to Arthur as he stared into the flames. Arthur let him be, deciding his day had been bad enough as it was without Merlin sulking. He just wanted to keep the idiot safe, and if that meant having Merlin in a mood, then that was what it would take. But he had misread the signs. Merlin wasn’t sulking, but thinking.

“I think you need me.”

The voice was so quiet that Arthur almost missed the words from where he had been too busy trying to get out of the chair despite still feeling weak. But although his reaction was delayed, he still found himself swallowing and staring at the back of Merlin’s head.

“I…”

“You do, don’t you? Now I’ve used magic.”

Arthur knew exactly what Merlin meant. He wondered how long it had been since Merlin had overheard him talking to Elyan. After all, they had come to the conclusion that a sorcerer’s own magic was needed in order to break free of the collars. But the girl they had tried to free hadn’t the strength, the pain had killed her before the collar had come off and they had been left thinking there would be no way. But Merlin had used magic with the collar on and it hadn’t killed him. It was true it had come close, but he was here, two days later standing there as if nothing had happened.

If that magic was focused towards the collar, was Merlin the one with the strength enough to break free? Once they had one sorcerer free and working with them, Arthur knew Merlin would be able to use his magic to aid others to break free.

But the risk…

“It could kill you,” Arthur said, his tone blunt. He couldn’t lie, not when Merlin had figured it out. If he was honest, it hadn’t actually crossed Arthur’s mind that Merlin had the power to be the first to escape the collar, he had been too busy worrying about whether or not Merlin was going to wake up or not.

“I’m stronger than you think, Arthur.” Merlin had turned to face him this time and Arthur suddenly realised what Merlin meant. This wasn’t the look of a frightened slave staring back at him anymore. This was somehow the man who had become his friend and lover during their time together, the one who seemed to know how Arthur was feeling even if Arthur didn’t. And it seemed that Arthur had underestimated him in return; Merlin had used magic while being collared.

He could actually do it.

“I don’t know,” Arthur admitted honestly, sitting up straighter in the chair. “I’ll need to talk to Elyan, see exactly what happened last time and at what point it got too much. It could be you are still not strong enough but then again, I’ve never heard of anyone using magic with the collar on before.”

For the first time in a while, Arthur realised he was actually feeling hopeful. If Merlin could get the collar off, if he could use magic to aid his escape, he would actually be able to get out and live a normal life.

“But promise me you won’t try anything,” Arthur continued. “Not until I know more. You’re not going to help anyone if you kill yourself.”

“I promise.”

Arthur stood, moving closer to the fire. Without truly thinking what he was doing, he found that he was wrapping his arms around Merlin. But he was even more surprised when Merlin let him do it, resting his head against his shoulder.

“I couldn’t lose you just because I miscalculated,” Arthur murmured gently, feeling like he had to be honest with what was going through his mind. He felt a gentle kiss being placed on his chin in response.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Merlin murmured and Arthur found his self-control snapping. Before he could overthink his actions, he drew back slightly and tilted Merlin’s chin up before kissing him properly. He had wanted to do it ever since Merlin had stroked him off in the bath, but this time, his servant’s hands rose to entwine in his hair and Merlin kissed him back. Properly, as well.

Arthur grinned, walking backwards until he had found his chair again and fallen into it. Merlin came down with him, somehow folding his legs over the arm of the chair as he perched on Arthur’s lap, hands not leaving his hair as they continued to kiss.

When they eventually pulled back, panting for breath, Arthur started when Merlin took his hand. He was even more confused when the man pulled it towards his own crotch. But when Arthur felt the hardness under his palm and his touch made Merlin’s breath hitch, he knew what the man was trying to tell him, what he couldn’t find the words for.

He wanted it as much as Arthur did. He wanted it to be real.

“Let’s go to bed,” Merlin whispered, nuzzling along Arthur’s jawline. Catching his lips again, Arthur agreed. He wasn’t sure if either of them were actually feeling up to doing anything, but just knowing that Merlin wanted it – perhaps for the first time – was enough for Arthur to awkwardly get them out of the chair and across the room.


	15. Chapter 15

Arthur had been right thinking nothing would happen that night. Apart from a fumbling hand job, they were both too tired to take it further than that. But when he had awoken the next morning to find his arm looped around Merlin’s shoulders and the man curled into his side, he knew something _had_ happened. It just wasn’t physical.

Instead, it felt as if this time there was no going back. Arthur couldn’t help but think so far their relationship – whatever it was, but it certainly wasn’t master and slave – seemed to be constantly taking one step forward, two steps back. But now it felt like they had broken free of that and Arthur had contently watched Merlin sleep for a while before awakening him with a kiss and sending him to get breakfast.

It kept taking him by surprise, even though it had been a day or so since he realised that Merlin might have been pretending in the forest, but he hadn’t been pretending with his feelings. But now there were often soft fingers brushing his shoulder as Merlin passed, or a hand on his wrist when Merlin leant over to look at something. It was as if Merlin was taking every chance he had to touch Arthur, and the prince certainly wasn’t complaining about it.

He had faked a headache, securing his chambers and pouring over everything they had managed to discover so far about the collars and the way it worked with the magic. He knew Merlin disliked the questions that Arthur threw his way, but there was no one else the prince could ask. Merlin seemed to realise by answering honestly he was potentially speeding up his own freedom, for although there was an almost constant frown on his face that Arthur wanted to smooth away, he did speak each time. He seemed to be growing in confidence, for Arthur was sure it would have only been a few weeks ago he would have balked at such questions and withdrawn into himself.

Then again, a few weeks ago, Arthur wouldn’t believe his slave was the one with the potential to break free of the collars. He knew his father knew Merlin was powerful, he wouldn’t have been gifted to royalty otherwise. But there was no way he had realised just how powerful, for he wouldn’t have let him go. Especially as he didn’t trust Arthur anymore and the prince knew full well how much his father had wanted to take Merlin for his own. The thought had always made his stomach roll, but now it made him feel physically sick.

“Arthur?” Glancing up, Arthur realised that couldn’t have been the first time that Merlin had called him considering the look of exasperation on his face. There was an amused smile there though and Arthur found himself grinning back sheepishly. It looked like he had been engrossed in the document in front of him, but in actual fact his mind had been drifting and thinking of Merlin.

“What?”

“You need to eat something, you didn’t have lunch,” Merlin scolded, pushing a plate in front of the prince and whisking away the document at the same time. To give him credit, Arthur was pleased with how Merlin didn’t attempt to read it despite the fact that he had to be curious.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’ve got the knighting ceremony this afternoon,” Merlin continued in a soft voice. Arthur sighed and gave in, pulling the plate towards him. He knew what Merlin wasn’t saying; he had to face his father later that day and it was easier on a full stomach. He took a few bites before glancing up.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yes, your lunch,” Merlin responded, his lips twitching into a proper grin. Arthur snorted and continued to eat, not doubting it for a second.

“I need you to run some errands for me this afternoon,” he said quietly around mouthfuls. He didn’t like sending Merlin out, not with his father and errant knights around. But the ceremony would mean the majority of people who were a threat to him would be where Arthur could see them. He gave Merlin a list of supplies and things he wanted, watching as Merlin muttered the list to himself as he memorised it.

“And another thing,” Arthur muttered, glancing at the door to check it was shut. Before Merlin, it had nearly always been propped open just because Arthur hadn’t truly had anything to hide; any discussions about the collars had taken place down in the forge where the fires and clang of metal would drown out any words.

“I need you to deliver a message to Elyan. Tell him to come up here after I return from the ceremony. We will light a candle and put it in the window when it is safe.”

Merlin froze, his hands going very still from where he was tidying up. He seemed to swallow before looking up at Arthur.

“Yes, Sire,” he whispered, and Arthur was sure he detected a tremble in Merlin’s voice. He reached across the table and grasped his wrist, feeling the pulse race under his touch.

“We’re doing nothing until you are feeling strong enough and ready, you understand? But I have to talk to him, he has studied this more than anyone, he knows what he is talking about. We definitely can’t act until we know more.”

“Why him? Why did you chose him?”

“My father had his executed for treason, believing he was conspiring with a sorcerer. He wasn’t, he was just trying to make ends meet. Elyan wants Gwen safe, he wants the kingdom safe for innocents like his father. He thinks that I can bring that about.”

“He’d be right,” Merlin said, his voice calming. His hand twisted so that he could return Arthur’s grip. “You’ve already made a difference.”

“I hardly think…”

“You don’t hear the servants talking,” Merlin interrupted, smiling again. “You treat them well unlike your father. Don’t underestimate the difference that makes.”

Arthur had spent the last few years priding himself on how well he could mask his emotions. He had needed to in order to survive the dealings with his father rather than being carted off for treason just through the look of disgust on his face. But for some reason, he could feel the blush building on his cheeks at Merlin’s words. Perhaps it was just because of who had said it? Arthur knew full well Merlin wouldn’t have said it unless it was true and the prince felt touched that the people had actually noticed. After all, there wasn’t a lot he could do to change their situation right now, so it wasn’t as if he was their champion or anything like that.

But it was enough to give him hope for the future. Maybe he would be able to find a way to stop his father’s cruelty and actually make Camelot the kingdom he had always dreamed it would be rather than one built on slavery and abuse.

“You’re blushing.”

“No, I’m not,” Arthur denied, busying himself with looking down at his plate for a moment while he tried to cool his cheeks. When he glanced up a few moments later, Merlin was still watching him with a smirk on his face.

“Don’t you have things to do?” Arthur asked curtly, knowing that unless Merlin turned away, he wasn’t going to control himself.

“Nope,” Merlin said cheerfully, sitting down at the table as well. “You told me to do those things when you have left for the ceremony. You haven’t said anything for now.”

“Then come here,” Arthur muttered, pushing aside his plate. Merlin moved quickly until he was standing in front of Arthur, who quickly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss him. It felt like he had permission to do this now, now that he knew how much Merlin wanted it as well. To his satisfaction, Merlin was quick to grab onto his shoulder so that he could lower himself a little. It might have just been to get a better angle to kiss him back, but Arthur liked to think it was because he made the man’s knees go weak.

“You need to change,” Merlin murmured breathlessly, pulling back just enough to be able to talk. Arthur reluctantly let him do so, knowing he was right.

“Only if you’re the one to do it,” he said, knowing the look on his face would say what his words were not. They didn’t have time for anything, not considering Arthur did have a knighting ceremony to be at. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease, and it was fun to watch the blush spread across Merlin’s face. It was amusing to Arthur how easy it was to make the colour bloom over his usually pale skin considering they had already slept together twice now.

“Come on then, My Lord,” Merlin said. His hand slipped into Arthur’s, their fingers somehow lacing together as Merlin pulled him from his seat and shoved him behind the changing screen.

Arthur had no idea how they actually managed to get him in the ceremonial clothes that he needed to be in, not considering the amount of flirting happening at the same time. He was breathless with laughter by the time he was dressed, Merlin’s quick fingers having found a sensitive spot under his ribs that had reduced Arthur to nothing. He had a feeling that spot would stay in Merlin’s mind now and made a mental note to try and find a way of seeking his revenge on the man at a later date.

But he was finally almost at the door, Merlin’s arms still around his waist from where he was trying to buckle on Arthur’s ceremonial sword while they were moving. But he was ready and suddenly found that he didn’t want to leave the safety and comfort of his chambers.

“Be careful,” Merlin murmured, trying to flatten a stray hair as he spoke. “Don’t let him wind you up, not now.”

Arthur knew what he meant. Not now they were finally putting a plan in motion. Arthur couldn’t afford to have his father suspecting him of anything. He smiled, capturing Merlin’s hand as he lowered it.

“You too. Make sure you aren’t followed to the forge and make sure Elyan knows not to be seen.” He had only given Merlin the other things to get in the market for it meant if someone had followed him down, the servant had genuine things to be doing for his master rather than just delivering a message.

“Come back up the servants stairs on your way back, stay away from the hall,” he continued. The last thing he wanted was for Merlin’s return to time with the knights coming out of the hall. Knights in a celebratory mood tended to just see a collared slave and care about nothing else but using them. Arthur couldn’t bear to think of that happening to Merlin now.

“Arthur,” Merlin said softly, working his hand free of his grip and resting it against the prince’s cheek. “I’m going to be fine. But you need to go before you are late and someone comes looking for you.”

Arthur tilted his head into Merlin’s palm, brushing his lips across it while his hand fumbled for the lock. He eventually got the door open and stepped out, shutting it sharply behind him so that he didn’t get ideas about going back in there.

Squaring his shoulders, Arthur set off towards the hall, knowing he could do the route with his eyes shut he had walked it so many times. All he had to do was get through a few hours without his father winding him up too much, then he could return to Merlin.

More than that, he could return to planning how to break the enslaved sorcerers out from their collars without killing them. The thought of that alone was enough to make him quicken his step and lift his head high.

MMM

Merlin had done as Arthur had asked. It still felt a little daunting going into the town on his own, but that was more because he was used to the security and quiet of Arthur’s chambers. The vast numbers of people bustling around everywhere unnerved him. But there were no guards to be threatening, the only person he saw in any sort of uniform was Lancelot on the way out, and the knight simply nodded at him. Merlin had no idea what Arthur had told the man, but he had no idea that Merlin had knocked the prince out and tried to run. Merlin was just grateful he had managed to get his mother safely over the border before arriving back in time to save them both.

But knowing that no one had any interest in him helped his fear to lessen. It didn’t take him long to deliver the message – he couldn’t work out if Elyan had looked excited or terrified – fetch everything else that Arthur had requested and make it back up to his chambers. He put away the things he had purchased, being able to guess where the prince would want them kept. But then he didn’t really know what to do with himself. Arthur hadn’t left him any more chores than that and Merlin realised he wasn’t used to being in the chambers on his own with nothing to do.

Part of him deliberated going to find Gwen, but another part was convinced she would be in the main hall with Morgana and Arthur. He also wasn’t sure he was yet confident enough to roam the halls looking for her. Although he had been here for months now, he had spent so long hidden away in Arthur’s chambers that he still didn’t want to venture out of them for no good reason. The knight’s attack the first time he had still played on his mind when he let his defences down.

Merlin tidied the room a little, but it didn’t truly need it. Then he pulled a pile of shirts towards him that needed mending and found his thread. He would rather keep his mind occupied than think about what was to come later that day. The idea that he could actually be strong enough to break free of the collar and earn his freedom sent shivers down his spine. He didn’t want to hope too much, for he knew Arthur would be just as disappointed as him if it didn’t work. He also wasn’t sure he could just run back to Ealdor.

He had done a lot of thinking over the last few days. The fact he hadn’t been able to run when he had the chance had told him a lot. Arthur had become part of his life, even if it wasn’t in a way that either of them had wanted initially. He had been through too much now in order to just run home and pretend that nothing had happened. Especially now he knew quite how far Arthur was willing to go in order to defy his father – allowing Merlin to knock him out for one thing. He couldn’t give up the chance that by staying, he could help others.

But would he be able to stay if he was no longer collared? If Uther found out… Merlin blanched at the thought and forced his mind to focus on the task at hand.

Luckily, just as he finished some of the shirts, Arthur returned. Merlin was on his feet immediately, ready to take the man’s cloak. To his relief, Arthur didn’t look as stressed as he often did after seeing his father. Merlin just hoped that because it had been a joyous occasion – he had heard Arthur moaning often enough how hard it was to find decent knights – everything would have gone smoothly. Arthur didn’t say anything, he just took a swig from the goblet that Merlin had passed him and moved towards the window.

“Find me a candle,” he said quietly, and Merlin realised that his hand was shaking as he put the goblet down again. This was it. He picked one up from a stand on the other side of the room and passed it over. Arthur lit a stick from the fire and held it against the candle. Both watched in silence as it caught light and Arthur positioned it where it could clearly be seen from beyond. The incoming winter meant the nights were already drawing in. Not only did it make the candle more obvious, but it stopped questions being asked about why the prince had his rooms lit up already.

Once it was in place, Merlin blew out a long breath and stepped back, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You need to leave once he arrives,” Arthur said, his voice tense.

“But I want to stay.”

“The less you know, the better.”

“But...”

“But nothing. You’re not going to be here, Merlin. I’m not having anyone suspect that you know anything, do you understand?”

Merlin stared at Arthur. He wanted to continue to argue, but he knew Arthur was only doing it to protect him. He wasn’t in danger of being forced to give information if it was obvious that he didn’t know anything. But he hated the idea that Arthur thought there was a chance of being found out, that he might have to go through it.

Merlin stood, taking Arthur’s hand in his own and pulling the man closer.

“Promise me that whatever happens, you’ll accept the outcome?”

“Merlin-,”

“Promise me,” Merlin pressed, staring into Arthur’s eyes as he did so. “I know you’ve tried. Others will know you’ve tried. And you will find a way, because you haven’t given up yet.”

“It could kill you.”

“Then that will be my final defiance to your father.”

Arthur opened his mouth, clearly not liking that thought, but a knock on the door silenced them both. Despite his words, Merlin’s heart was pounding hard as he glanced at the door before back at Arthur. Before he could even think what to do, Arthur had darted forward and kissed him lightly before striding towards the door. He unlocked it and let Elyan in, before motioning for Merlin to come across the room.

To Merlin’s surprise, Arthur grabbed him roughly by the shoulder when he was close enough.

“Don’t come back until is clean,” he roared, making Merlin jump in the process. Before he could say anything, he had been shoved from the room and the door slammed in his face. For a moment, Merlin could only stare, wondering what on earth had happened. But as he turned – realising there was no way back in for him now – it was to see two guards disappear around the corner. Clearly Arthur had seen them there and was making sure there were witnesses to Merlin leaving the room.

It didn’t make him feel any better.

Scuffing his feet glumly, Merlin realised he had no idea how much time he needed to kill before Arthur let him back in the room. Deciding he would continue their pretence – and it gave him something to do – he dragged himself down the corridor, hoping that he could remember the way to the armoury and that any knight who might give him a problem would be off celebrating. For Merlin knew that Arthur wouldn’t be coming to rescue him this time.

In the end, the time passed quite quickly. Merlin managed to find himself a corner of the armoury and a spare cloth, meaning he could pretend to be polishing Arthur’s helmet while being hidden from view. Although the piece of armour might have been cleaner, Merlin’s thoughts were far from the task at hand. He wished he had a way of listening to the conversation going on in Arthur’s chambers. Would Elyan agree when he heard what happened, would he think that Merlin did have the strength to break out of the collar? Merlin wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted the answer to be, for he knew if Elyan agreed, he would try it. But none of them would know until it was too late whether the pain would be too much for him or not.

By the time Merlin’s thoughts turned from his collar and back to what he was doing, he knew he was going to have to move. He was so stiff from sitting in the corner that climbing to his feet almost made him cry out. Returning the cloth and the helmet to their rightful places, Merlin checked the corridors were clear before slipping out.

It didn’t take him long to navigate his way back to Arthur’s rooms, only to see the door was still shut. He was sure the prince would have given him some sort of signal that it would be safe to return when Elyan had left, so Merlin made to turn on his heel and find something else to do. But before he could, he heard voices coming towards him.

It only took seconds for the terror to rise from Merlin’s stomach and inform him that the voice was Uther’s. He seemed to be talking to someone, but there was no audible response. All Merlin knew was that he was heading this way… and there was no other reason for him to be coming this way unless it was to check on Arthur. Maybe there had been a feast after the ceremony and Uther was suspicious?

Panic filled Merlin’s mind only for a moment. As he whirled around and glimpsed the door again, he knew what to do.

Bursting into it, Merlin quickly shut if behind him and turned. Arthur looked furious and Elyan was half out of his seat in surprise.

“What do you think-,”

“No time,” Merlin muttered, darting forward. He grabbed Elyan’s arm and shoved him towards the servant’s entrance. “Your father…”

That seemed to be all Arthur needed to know, for his face went pale and he seemed frozen. Merlin grabbed a pile of papers from the table. They hadn’t been there before, so he could only assume they were about the conversation. Shoving them into Elyan’s arms, he gestured.

“Out the servant’s exit, quick,” he hissed. Luckily, Elyan’s mind was working quicker than Arthur’s and he made sure he had all the evidence before darting into the next room. Merlin made sure to lock it, buying them a few more precious seconds if Uther wanted to look in there. But when he turned back to Arthur, he knew it was going to be no good. Arthur looked like he had already been discovered, and Merlin knew he wasn’t going to be able to pull himself together in time.

Not knowing what else to do, he dropped to his knees and yanked on Arthur’s laces.

“What are you- umm…” Speech escaped Arthur and he went instantly hard as Merlin took him in his mouth. The door was beginning to open and Arthur caught onto the plan in time. He shifted until he was sprawled in a more lazy position and fisted a hand in Merlin’s hair. Merlin sucked obediently as he heard the door open behind him.

“Arthur, where have you…Oh.”

“F-father?” Arthur gasped, jolting as Merlin twirled his tongue. Merlin tried to pull off, but Arthur pushed him further down.

“Finally,” Uther muttered behind him, so quiet that Merlin wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear or not.

“Did you – did…want?” Merlin smirked at how wrecked Arthur sounded. They could have been at this for hours for all Uther knew.

“No, Arthur. I was just checking you were well, you vanished quickly after the ceremony. I’m glad it was to take other matters in hand so to speak. I will leave you to it.”

There was a rustle of a cloak and the shutting of the door again. Uther had left and Arthur’s hand instantly vanished from Merlin’s hair.

“Oh… _oh...”_

Merlin, however, didn’t stop from his task.


	16. Chapter 16

“Are you sure?”

“If you ask me that one more time…”

Arthur smirked at what he was sure had been Merlin’s attempt to sound threatening. But it had come out as nothing more than a needy whine and Arthur knew he had been the one to make the man sound like that. It gave him something of a thrill, especially as he had been so unsure as to whether Merlin had ever wanted it to be real.

But there was no denying it now. The room was lit by just a few candles, but it was enough light for Arthur to see the flush that had worked its way from Merlin’s chest up his neck and across his cheeks. Arthur had a full view, for both were naked and on his bed, the prince hovering over Merlin. He had been teasing him for almost an hour now, slowly stretching him open one finger at a time and refusing to go any faster despite Merlin’s pleas.

Ever since Arthur had come down his throat earlier that afternoon, he had known what the evening would bring. Merlin’s eyes had been dark and his body tense the rest of the evening and when Arthur had made to change for bed, he had found Merlin’s hands pushing him against the wall and being kissed desperately. It hadn’t taken long for things to escalate and clothing to be lost on the way.

But Arthur refused to give into his body’s demands to just take Merlin. He wanted to make this something so special that it made them forget about their previous times of being together, especially the first. Then, Merlin had been begging him something quite different. It had got to the point now though, where his own body was aching and hard, sweat covering him from where he was trying to control himself. Merlin no better, spread out beneath him. One leg was splayed while the other had just slipped from Arthur’s shoulder.

“If you don’t get on with it, I’ll oom…”

Surging forward, Arthur stole Merlin’s words in a kiss, heated in a way he had never kissed anyone before. For a moment, it was as if he had forgotten that he was about to use the kiss as a distraction, for he found himself lost in it and realised he could just do it for hours and be content. But Merlin shifted his hips as he did so, his own cock hard against his stomach and he let out something like a whimper when Arthur brushed against it trying to get closer.

Before Merlin could even attempt to say anything else, Arthur inched in.

Once there, he paused, looking down at Merlin’s face. His eyes were shut, his mouth parted and there was a small frown on his face. Arthur worried he had hurt him after all, but then Merlin rolled his hips again in an attempt to take Arthur deeper and the prince lost all self-control, thrusting into him in a way that was almost desperate. His hands found Merlin’s hips as he pulled him back to meet each thrust, but the servant needed no encouragement, rocking with Arthur. Instead, Arthur’s hand lifted and found Merlin’s cock, stroking it in time with his thrusts.

Afterwards, he would have said it was somewhat remarkable how long they managed to last considering how long they had been dancing around each other, not just today but ever since they had both admitted there was something more between them than just master and slave. Arthur made no attempt to disguise his yell as he came.

Let the guards report that back to his father.

But Merlin whined as he pulled out and Arthur quickly stroked him over the edge before fetching a cloth to clean them both up. He took his time as he trailed it over Merlin’s body, his fingers mapping every bump or mark on Merlin’s skin. When he looked back at the man, it was to see he was barely awake, watching Arthur through half-closed eyes with a small smile playing across his face. When he was done, Arthur tossed the rag away, kissed Merlin’s forehead and rolled off him, lying down properly. It came as no surprise when Merlin instantly curled up into him, slotting his foot between Arthur’s leg.

“Possessive much?” Arthur laughed, feeling Merlin’s teeth graze across a nipple in retaliation.

“You get a collar to show I’m yours, can’t I at least do this?” Although his tone was light-hearted, the truth to his words hit Arthur hard and he sighed, staring at the canopy. Merlin sensed his change of mood for he sat up, staring down at Arthur even as his hand traced light patterns across Arthur’s chest.

“What is it? What did Elyan say?”

Arthur glanced at Merlin, lifting a hand to run his thumb across his cheekbones. It took him a moment to find the words, but Merlin didn’t push him.

“I told him what happened with the bandits,” he muttered, his voice soft. Merlin looked like he was dying to tell Arthur to get on with it but he luckily held his tongue. “And he agreed that he thinks you might be strong enough to break free of the collar.”

“What?” Merlin’s word came out as nothing more than a breath and Arthur looked at him. In that moment, he was forcibly reminded of just how young Merlin was and how vulnerable he looked with the hope shining out of his eyes that he might be free. Arthur knew it was an expression only freedom would keep in place.

“He doesn’t want you trying anything for a week or so, just to make sure you haven’t done any damage with the stunt you pulled in the forest. If you eat regular meals and sleep well, if you build up your strength….”

“I can be free?”

Arthur nodded as a tear ran down Merlin’s face. His thumb swiped to catch it.

“I’ll do what I can in order to help you build your strength,” he said quietly, his heart beating hard. “We’ll go out for long walks, get you fresh air and whatever else it might take. But you have to do this on your own.”

“I understand,” Merlin whispered, his voice trembling as he slowly lay back down and curled into Arthur’s side, his head resting on the prince’s chest. Arthur found that his fingers were methodically combing through Merlin’s hair as silence fell between them. He didn’t know if Merlin had fallen asleep or not, but the man seemed to have no desire to carry on talking.

Eventually, he felt Merlin’s breathing even out and the tension disappear from his limbs. Arthur knew it was safe to move and very carefully, he drew his legs away from Merlin’s foot, making sure that he didn’t disturb the man in the process. Slipping from the bed, he took a moment to draw the blankets back over Merlin before stepping back and pulling on a robe. The fire had died down and the room was chilly, especially the stones under his bare feet. But Arthur had no desire to do anything about it as he crossed the room and poured himself some wine.

Taking up his usual position by the window, Arthur found himself staring out into the courtyard, lost in thought. Merlin would have to leave as soon as he was free, even if he didn’t want to. He knew if his father saw him without the collar, Merlin would be killed before he even thought about magic to defend himself. Arthur hadn’t fought this hard to keep him in safe only to lose him now. But the idea of being on his own again, of having his father hoist another slave onto him made him feel sick. He had no idea how he would react for he knew his heart would still be Merlin’s and he wouldn’t be as considerate to another slave.

How had it come to this? Arthur Pendragon, Crown Prince of Camelot, admitting that he had fallen in love with his slave, a man who had tried to kill him rather than talk to him for weeks?

Arthur would have said that it made him weak. But as he glanced across at the bed and saw Merlin sleeping there, he knew the opposite was true. He would do anything right now in order to keep Merlin safe, it made him feel stronger than ever. So what was he supposed to do when the man left?

Knowing he would end up in a bad mood if he kept these thoughts up, Arthur silently dressed, slipped his sword through his belt and slipped from the room. He would find the nightly patrol and pretend that he was inspecting them. Anything to keep his mind off the matter.

His boots seemed to echo loudly on the stone floor but Arthur made no attempt to soften his footfalls. He would simply see how long it took for a guard to challenge him and then take out his frustration by yelling at them for taking too long.

But another sound caught his attention before a guard was heard. Unable to stop himself, Arthur found that his feet were taking him closer even though his heart was telling him to move on, that this would be something he would not want to see.

He knew whose door it was before he got there. Valiant had been staying at the castle for a month or so now, having won over the king with a fancy sword display. Arthur knew that his father also approved that Valiant had brought a slave with him, a scared looking girl. Freya he seemed to remember her name being, although how he knew that he had no idea.

Arthur moved closer and stopped when he realised the door had been left open a crack. It was just enough to give him a view into the room and what he saw made his stomach roll. Freya was lying across the bed, but she barely looked conscious as Valiant fucked her, mounting her like a dog would a bitch and keeping a hand on her collar, restricting her breathing. Her body was littered with sores and stripes caused by a whip and Arthur found himself stumbling backwards when her eyes flickered.

He hurried away, only stopping when he was a few corridors away and the sound – both the actual sound and the haunting of it ringing in his ears – had faded away. He felt sick. He knew what happened to slaves, knew there wasn’t supposed to be anything consensual about it. But actually seeing it, seeing the pain she was in…

Arthur’s self-pity about being alone once Merlin was free vanished.

If Merlin could break free, then it gave them a positive starting point. He might even be able to help before he had to flee. It had been a long time since Arthur had felt a fury awaken in him over the treatment of the slaves. Knowing he had something different with Merlin had changed his focus to want to help one man rather than them all. But the haunted expression on Freya’s face was not going to leave his mind anytime soon.

Forgetting the guards, Arthur moved swiftly back to his rooms, undressed and slipped into bed. Merlin was not the only one who needed to gain his strength. For when morning came, Arthur was determined he was going to start making a difference, regardless of what his father did to him in the process. While he planned, others suffered.

The time for planning was over.

Knowing this would be the most open act of rebellion he had ever committed, Arthur nevertheless knew that it was the right thing to do. It was a comforting thought and with Merlin’s soft breathing filling the air, the prince fell asleep, determined the next day would bring a new dawn to all those with a collar.

He just hoped he knew what he was doing.

MMM

Merlin shifted his weight uncomfortable, glaring at the smirk on Arthur’s face. They both knew precisely why he was a touch sore that morning, but it wasn’t like there was anything he could say about it right now. Not in the middle of the council chambers with all the lords milling around. Merlin had no idea why Arthur had insisted he came along as well, especially as he must have known that his father was present. But although Uther had run his eyes over him with a sneer, he had ignored him from then on.

Merlin could only suppose it was because Uther now believed that Arthur was using him properly and his uncomfortable standing would only support that view.

But Arthur had taken a risk bringing him and Merlin knew it had to be for a good reason. So apart from a few glares in his master’s direction, he forced himself to stand still, standing against the wall and trying not to lean on it. Arthur had been in a strange mood all morning and Merlin didn’t want to try his patience by slouching. Still, it was a long and boring meeting and Merlin could understand why they always put Arthur in a bad mood, especially when the topic was how many slaves had been captured and sold over the last few days.

There was something distance about Arthur’s expression that made Merlin think the man wasn’t even paying attention. He had seen the look on Arthur’s face when he was concentrating – he had seen it up close the night before when Arthur had been… No. He couldn’t think about that in the middle of a council meeting. He was already sore, the last thing he needed was to be hard as well. He was almost certain that it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

By the time Merlin had cooled the flush in his cheeks and forced his mind back onto more innocent matters, the meeting was coming to an end. It was only because he happened to be watching Arthur at the time and knew the man, but Merlin was surprised to see a flash of trepidation cross his face before Arthur suddenly cleared his throat.

“Father? There is something I would like your permission for.”

“What is it, Arthur?” There was a touch of impatience in Uther’s tone that had Merlin swallowing, but Arthur didn’t seem to notice.

“I wish to borrow Valiant’s slave for the afternoon.”

“Excuse me?”

Merlin wasn’t sure he had heard correctly either and his heart was pounding uncomfortably hard. He didn’t like this. Arthur, however, shrugged.

“I wish to be entertained and she would match my slave well. They’d be pretty together.”

Merlin felt sick. Not only had Arthur openly called him his slave, but to talk like that… There had to be some mistake. If it was anyone else, then maybe. But Arthur wouldn’t… he couldn’t think…

“Very well.” There was a seal of approval in Uther’s voice and he quickly addressed a guard, directing him to Valiant to inform him his whore was required.

“Thank you.” With a nod of his head, Arthur strode from the room. Merlin hurried after him and as soon as they were out of earshot, grabbed the man’s shoulder, spun around and slapped him as hard as he could. It all happened so fast that Arthur hadn’t had time to stop him, but when Merlin raised his hand, Arthur caught his wrist.

“Merlin…”

“Get off me!” Merlin hissed, opting for kicking Arthur on the shin instead. Within seconds, the prince had him pressed against the wall, restraining him with ease.

“Do you really think I meant any of that?”

“We’d be pretty together?” Merlin mocked, struggling. But then he fell still, tears pricking his eyes at the hurt that Arthur had just caused. The prince softened.

“She’s hurt, Merlin.” He said quietly and Merlin felt the tension leaving him as he stared at Arthur. “I thought if I could have her for an afternoon, she can have a meal, a bath… a rest.”

Merlin lent forward, leaning his forehead on Arthur’s shoulder. He _knew_ something had been wrong about that. After everything Arthur had ever said or done, he would have never treated Merlin or any other slave like that. But it hadn’t crossed his mind that Arthur was trying to actively help.

“You know your father will punish you for it.”

“I know. But he can’t punish her if she just followed orders. It will give her more of a chance.”

“Why, Arthur? Why risk it?”

“I wanted you free long before I loved you,” Arthur murmured. He continued saying something about needing to help others as well as Merlin, but Merlin’s mind had frozen. Arthur finished and Merlin had just lifted his head and stood there blinking at him.

“What did you just say?”

“You want me to repeat it?”

“No… just the end bit.” Arthur stared at him, but Merlin knew the instant he realised what Merlin was talking about for he suddenly coloured.

“You heard me.”

“I’m not sure I did,” Merlin said playfully before he suddenly stopped and looked Arthur directly in the eye.

“Do you really love me?”

Arthur nodded, a smile playing across his lips that made him look younger. The tension had stripped away from him and Merlin reached up to push his hair back from his eyes.

“Well then,” Merlin said slowly, his mind racing as to how he was going to help Arthur. After all, in his mind they were in this together now.

“I better go and see Morgana.”

“What?”

“You really think that either of us have a clue what to do with a girl?” Merlin said, amusement in his eyes. “If you want to help her, we need Gwen. Actually, change of plan, you can see Morgana.”

“Why?”

“Because she slaps harder than me and I don’t want to be on the receiving end before I have the chance to explain your plan.”

Arthur looked at him in such astonishment that Merlin soon found himself laughing, all of his previous anger at the man disappearing as if it had never been there. He should have known Arthur would want to do something to help, and he felt guilty that he had doubted the man. It was just in that split-second of panic he thought Arthur had changed now that Merlin had willingly given him his body. But had he been able to see Arthur’s eyes at the time, he would have seen the love there and knew that was far from the case.

“Go and find some food and get the maids to draw a bath. Then go to Gaius and see if he has anything to aid cuts, bruises, that sort of thing. But don’t tell him why.”

“Then what am I supposed to say, that you turned violent on me?”

“If you have to.”

“I was joking, Arthur. I’m never going to say things like that about you. Besides, do you really think Gaius would believe it?”

Arthur rolled his eyes and finally stepped away, allowing Merlin to have his space back again. Unable to stop himself, Merlin pouted. He liked the feel of Arthur being close to him, it made him feel protected.

“Say whatever you have to, Merlin, just get those supplies. We don’t have much time.” With those words, Arthur strode off. Merlin found himself wondering if he should get something extra for bruises, especially if Morgana slapped him in the same place that Merlin had. Chuckling at the fact he knew what her reaction would be – and she would act quicker than Arthur could talk – Merlin set off to his own tasks.

As he quietly begged a favour of the maids to get a hot bath sent to Arthur’s rooms and wheedled his way into extra portions for lunch, Merlin realised how much he wanted this to work. Not just because Arthur was risking a lot for it – Valiant wasn’t going to be happy if Freya returned to him rested and stronger – but because he wanted to help the girl. He had only glimpsed her a few times and never got a proper look at her face. Her gaze was always lowered to the ground and her body folded in on itself submissively. Merlin knew full well that had he been given to anyone other than Arthur, that could be what he was now like. He knew he would have done anything for anyone to show him some kindness if that was the case, which meant he was determined this was going to work.

When he got back to Arthur’s chambers, his bag weighed down with items from Gaius – he told the physician Arthur had slipped up in his training – he froze before he reached the door. It was partly open and he could hear sounds coming from within. Quickly, Merlin darted into the adjoining servant’s room and hid the bag. Then he crept to the adjoining door and opened it just a crack, making sure that he couldn’t be seen.

He instantly regretted it.

Valiant was already there, thrusting into Freya’s throat, one hand gripping her hair cruelly while he supported himself against the wall with the other. Horrified, Merlin made to draw back when he realised that Valiant was somehow speaking.

“You get him hard, you hear, girl? You get him spilling his secrets and I’ll let you eat. Serve me by serving him.”

His orders given, it didn’t take long for Valiant to finish off. He shoved Freya away from him, kicking her sharply in the stomach as he adjusted his breeches and laced himself up. Merlin shut the door, anger coursing through him. It was so strong that for a split second he was sure one of the candles actually shook in its holder. Instantly, Merlin forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t afford to weaken himself again by using magic, although he knew Arthur would be pleased at how much easier he had found it this time.

Hearing the door open again, Merlin listened as Arthur expressed his displeasure at Valiant entering his chambers before the prince had arrived, but then the man left. The door shut and Merlin made to enter. But before he could do so, he heard Arthur cursing.

“No, no, stop, you don’t have, that’s not why I…”

Merlin quickly stepped in. Freya had knelt back up again, somehow entangling her fingers in Arthur’s laces in such a way the prince couldn’t step back without hurting her. Arthur was trying to push her off and Merlin would have found the expression of helplessness funny if it had been any other situation. He still smiled at the vivid mark on the prince’s face even as he hurried forward. He knelt down next to Freya, calmly but firmly drawing her fingers away. When she looked at him, her eyes were wide with terror.

Merlin smiled gently.

“It’s alright, Freya,” he murmured, his voice reassuring. “Arthur’s not like that. You don’t need to do anything. You’re here because Arthur wants to help.”

Arthur had stepped back, clearly realising that his presence was scaring her. But when Freya glanced at him, he managed to smile.

“Merlin’s right. You have nothing to fear here.”

“See, I can be right occasionally,” Merlin responded cheekily, convinced the best way to help Freya was for them to fall into their usual banter. If it was enough to make even Morgana crack a smile now and again, then surely it had to work on everyone? But Freya’s eyes were wide.

“You use names?” she whispered, her voice hoarse and rough with misuse. Merlin smiled and nodded, keeping a gentle hold of her hands when he realised she was returning the grip.

“We always have. But he does answer to prat as well.”

“Hey! Idiot.”

“Clotpole.”

“Not a word.”

“Is.”

“Isn’t.”

Merlin responded by sticking his tongue out at Arthur and the prince’s smile was so genuine and warm that he smiled back. Then he realised Freya was watching them in something that resembled awe.

Maybe there was indeed a chance to help her?


	17. Chapter 17

“Why her?” Merlin asked softly, making sure that his voice didn’t carry. Gwen had arrived to find Arthur leaning against the wall and both Merlin and Freya sitting on the floor. But she wasn’t alone, Morgana was on her heels and somehow the king’s ward got through to Freya that nothing had to be done in a far more effective manner than Arthur had. The two women had whisked up the changing screen and banished the men to the other side of the room. It made Merlin smile how quick Arthur was at doing what Morgana told him.

From the sounds of it, they had managed to get Freya in the bath and neither Arthur nor Merlin had dared to move, both worried they would scare her again if they did. Instead, Merlin found himself lying on the bed, legs entangled with Arthur’s and his head resting on the prince’s chest. Arthur’s fingers were stroking his hair. Merlin had begun to notice that the prince had a tendency to do that every time they were in a position to do so and it made Merlin feel warm inside. When he had first met the man, he certainly wouldn’t have said that Arthur was capable of gestures so tender.

“Why not? She needed help,” Arthur murmured, his voice just as quiet. He looked relaxed but Merlin could hear the way his heart was racing and knew that Arthur was just trying to control himself. He was nothing short of furious and Merlin knew it wouldn’t help that there was no one he could take his anger out on. Not considering he could hardly challenge Valiant over how he treated his slave.

“Valiant hates you, he won’t let it go.”

“I know,” Arthur said quietly and Merlin tilted his head up to look at Arthur’s face.

“Aren’t you worried about what your father will do to you?”

“Not especially. I’d do it again no matter what he does. It’s the right thing to do, Merlin. Nothing changes that so I don’t care what happens to me.”

“I do though,” Merlin whispered, settling his head back down and letting his fingers trace patterns over Arthur’s stomach. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Promise?”

Fingers under his chin tilted his head back and Merlin found himself being kissed. He groaned, his hand clenching in Arthur’s shirt as the gesture sent sparks shooting through his body. He heard Arthur chuckling into the kiss before the prince broke it.

“You’re insatiable.”

Before Merlin could answer, Gwen had appeared. She looked flustered and upset, but Merlin saw the smile flicker over her face when she saw how contently the two of them were lying entangled with each other. No doubt she hadn’t suspected this when she had soothed Merlin in the early days.

“Where are the medicines?” She asked, her voice steady despite the look on her face. Merlin gestured, not wanting to move. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help, just that he knew there was nothing he could do. Gwen fetched the bag and then looked at him.

“We might need you when we treat her back. Someone needs to hold her hand.”

“I doubt she’ll want me there.”

“You’ll be fine. Your collar means she knows you are in the same situation. Merlin, it might help her. Very few sl-prisoners have the bond you have with Arthur. It might give her confidence…”

“False confidence,” Arthur interrupted, and for the first time Merlin could hear the anger in his voice. “Do you really think that Valiant will let her look him in the eye without suffering the consequences?”

“Arthur,” Morgana had appeared now. Unlike her servant, Morgana was composed although her eyes were blazing in anger. “Why don’t you go and train?”

Arthur stared at her but Merlin’s mind was working quicker. Arthur’s voice was carrying, and his anger would only make Freya more upset. She wouldn’t understand that Arthur wasn’t angry at her and they couldn’t tell her the truth. Merlin knew no one could truly know how Arthur felt about the slavery, even if his actions were speaking for him right now.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Merlin twisted around before he could speak.

“Go,” he murmured, seeing the girls disappear again out of the corner of his vision. “That’s how you can help right now, Arthur.”

“But I want to do more,” Arthur protested, but his voice came out as such a childish whine that Merlin couldn’t resist kissing his nose.

“You’ve played your part, love. Let us do this bit.” Merlin made to sit up, but Arthur’s fingers closing around his wrist stopped him.

“What did you just call me?”

“Oh shut up,” Merlin muttered, feeling his face heating. It had just slipped out. He knew he hadn’t returned Arthur’s words of love yet, even though he felt it. He didn’t want it to just seem a reaction when he knew he had given Arthur doubts from the beginning. But it seemed his tongue wanted to show his affection even if his brain wasn’t ready.

Somehow, it was that term of endearment that got through to Arthur. He sighed, shuffling off the bed and finding his boots. As he slipped his sword through his belt, his eyes strayed to the screen and a look of longing came over his face. Merlin stood himself, slipping his hand into Arthur’s.

“We’ll look after her,” he promised, knowing that Arthur was frustrated. He couldn’t blame him. Arthur wanted to help so badly that knowing he couldn’t physically do anything because Freya was too scared of him made him frustrated. “Now go and beat up some dummies.”

Giving him a nudge towards the door, Merlin saw how reluctant Arthur was to leave. But he eventually went and Merlin knew he would feel better for taking out his frustration on some practice dummies. The trouble was making sure he wasn’t seen considering he was supposed to be enjoying the pleasures of two slaves right now.

“He’s gone,” Merlin muttered, making sure they could hear him. He was as frustrated as Arthur, partly on the prince’s behalf and partly because of the pretence they had to go through in order to help one innocent girl. Gwen reacted instantly, drawing the screen back a little. Freya was out of the bath, wrapped in a large robe. Morgana’s arms were around her, rocking the girl and doing all she could to soothe the sobs wracking her form.

“What do we do?” Merlin muttered in an undertone. Gwen glanced at him, then looked away, flushing. She didn’t speak.

“What is it?” Merlin pressed. He could tell there was something she wanted to ask him, but didn’t know how. “Gwen, tell me.”

“Could you take off your scarf?” She muttered, her flush darkening and her voice barely audible. Merlin wasn’t expecting that and even as his hands rose, his fingers brushed the fabric uncertainly. But then he glanced back at the traumatised girl and saw why Gwen was asking this of him. Freya might not recognise him as another slave otherwise, and acknowledging that as his position was going to be the only way he could stay in the room.

He fumbled with the knot and let the fabric drop to the floor. Unable to stop himself, Merlin found his fingers tracing the cold metal at his throat. He knew this was the second time in a day it had been visible, but Arthur hadn’t seemed to notice as he had trailed kisses around it in the bed the previous night. He felt exposed and vulnerable with it gone, but before his thoughts could go any further, there was a hand slipping into his, pulling it away from his neck. Gwen smiled at him with such warmth that Merlin felt his doubts slip away.

He was with his friends now, they would look out for him as much as they were doing for Freya now. The collar might symbolise his slavery, but he knew in that moment in Arthur’s room, he was no more a slave than Morgana was.

By this time, Morgana had managed to coax Freya over to the bed and lie her down. She was murmuring soothingly in the girl’s ear and Merlin knew she must have been reassuring her that everything was alright and that Arthur wasn’t even in the room any more. Once she was lying down, Morgana covered her lower half with a blanket but peeled back the robe.

Merlin thought he was going to be sick.

Her back was stripped with wounds, the majority looking like they were made by a whip. His mind took him back to his first night in Camelot and how violent Uther had been towards him. He thought the king had just been cruel, but now he knew it was the opposite: Arthur was just unusually nice. It seemed Valiant shared the king’s opinion on how slaves should be treated.

“Merlin?” Morgana had a hint of authority in her voice as she drew him back out of his own nightmare. Gwen’s eyes were shining in concern but her mistress looked as composed as ever.

“If you can’t help, then find Arthur,” she said, not cruelly. Merlin snapped himself out of it and stepped closer.

“I’m fine.” He knew what she had meant; they had their hands full enough with the state of Freya, they didn’t need him falling apart as well. “What do you need me to do?”

“Hold her hand,” Morgana instructed, gesturing to Gwen. The maid hurried to Morgana’s side, taking the pot that she was handed and making short work of beginning to warm it over a candle. Merlin moved hesitantly forward, perching on the edge of the bed. He had to prise Freya’s hands out of balls before he could slip his own into it and she jerked as he did so, looking up at him with wide eyes. It was clear she hadn’t truly realised that he was there.

“It’s alright,” he whispered. He eased both hands into one of his own and gently stroked her hair back. It was how his mother had soothed him during a nightmare or a fever when he was young. “You’re safe here, I promise.”

He noticed that her eyes were locked on his collar before they finally flickered up to his face. Something that could resemble acceptance lingered in her gaze before she suddenly flinched. Merlin looked up to see Morgana had started to apply a paste to her back.

But he had seen her look and understood it. She was recognising him as another prisoner, another slave. And if he was saying it was safe, then there had to be an element of truth in it.

“I haven’t been here long really,” Merlin found himself saying, wanting to distract her from the pain. “Only about six months. I come from a small village, my mother is still there. It wasn’t much, it only had a couple of cows…”

“By a lake,” Freya muttered, so quietly that Merlin barely heard her. But he smiled encouragingly down.

“That sounds beautiful. I’d probably fall in.”

Merlin felt his heart soar when a smile crossed her face and her eyes shut. This time, she seemed to be remembering her past and even appeared to be at peace even while Gwen and Morgana focused on helping her. Before he knew it, Merlin found himself talking about his life before a slave in order to distract her and was rewarded with a few snippets from Freya’s past. It didn’t sound like she had been in slavery for long either. Neither of them touched upon how they were caught or what had happened since. But for the first time, Merlin found that it was comforting talking about home. He didn’t feel angry or upset the way he had with Arthur. He couldn’t; Freya was in no way responsible of taking that away from him.

But he also wondered if that meant even in his heart he had accepted Camelot as his home now.

MMM

Arthur hadn’t gone far. He knew he couldn’t; if the wrong person saw him and reported back that he was wandering the castle, Arthur knew the situation would be even worse than it was already going to get. Valiant wouldn’t let it go that his slave would come back in much better condition, and he would see it as a chance to undermine Arthur. It wasn’t exactly a secret between the nobles that king and prince didn’t always see eye to eye and it wouldn’t be the first time Arthur had been used as a way of gaining favour with the king while weakening his influence and authority.

But he had meant what he had said to Merlin. He would take a night in the cells if that was what happened, but he would do it all over again. Freya had needed his help and it would have been wrong if he had ignored her. After all, he knew his father had a line that he wouldn’t cross with Arthur; he still needed an heir. A slave didn’t have that protection, and justice wouldn’t be served if they were killed either.

Although he was only in an empty room a little down the corridor, Arthur felt like he could have been the other end of the kingdom. He wasn’t sure what he had expected to happen: Freya was hardly going to be open to his touch, even if it was meant in innocence and friendship. Arthur hated that although it was his status that allowed him to get things this far, it was that same position of authority that stopped him doing any more. Would he truly be able to help if they were all too afraid of him?

Trying to push the thoughts from his mind – knowing he had no answers – Arthur paced the room and tried to think of ways to free the slaves. Once Merlin had broken free of his collar, they would have magic on their side. Arthur was convinced that had to make a difference, but there was a niggling doubt in his mind. He knew now how Merlin felt about him, he could see it blazing from his eyes every time the man looked at him, even if the words hadn’t yet crossed his lips. But that didn’t mean he would be willing to use his magic for Arthur’s cause. Merlin had every right to flee from Camelot as soon as he could and never look back. Arthur knew that he said he would stay, but it might be a different story entirely once there was no longer a collar around his neck.

Arthur knew he had to stop. At this rate, he was going to be in such a bad mood when he got back to his room that he would undo all the good work they had done by just a flippant word. So he forced himself to calm down, perched on the edge of a chair (he didn’t want to sit on the bed in case it revealed someone had been in here) and waited.

A few hours easily passed and Arthur found himself planning now that his mind had stopped throwing treacherous thoughts at him. When he judged the time to be right, he stood, stretching out his back as he did so. He had to make sure he was in the room when Valiant returned.

Checking the corridor was clear, Arthur stole from the room and darted across to his own, fumbling with the door when he heard guards. He managed to open it and dart inside just in time, only to narrowly avoid being hit (again) by Morgana.

“Oh,” she said blankly, “it’s you.”

“Nice to see you too,” Arthur drawled, glancing across the room. What he saw instantly made him smile. Merlin was sitting on his bed, his back against the headboard and gazing off into space. Spread across the bed was Freya, her head resting on his lap and Merlin combing his fingers through her hair gently. She was dressed back in her old dress, but Arthur knew Morgana would have treated everything that she could. The girl also seemed to be asleep, and Arthur knew that was more than he could hope for.

“How is she?” He asked, making sure he kept his voice low. Morgana’s mask slipped a little and Arthur could see the anguish in her expression.

“We’ve treated everything and there is no sign of infection which is good. She managed to eat a little and now she has slept, so I guess a lot better than when she came in here. But I don’t know how long she can survive this treatment, she’s so weak…”

“I can have a word…”

“It won’t work. Merlin told us what he overheard. Valiant wanted her to use sex as a way of getting you to spill things. She’s his tool as well as his slave, he won’t give that up.”

Arthur gently reached for her hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

“We’ll do what we can to protect her then,” he said simply, knowing it wasn’t going to be that easy. But the smile Morgana gave him in response – so different to her usual smirk – made it worth it.

“Now go on,” he continued, “get out of here before it is too late.”

Morgana nodded, softly calling to Gwen and the two girls disappeared. Merlin finally looked over when the door shut behind them, but Arthur had a feeling he had listened to everything.

“We’ll have to send her back soon,” Arthur said softly, perching on the bed next to Merlin. “It’s better than Valiant coming for her and us having to pretend something.”

Merlin nodded and Arthur could tell how upset he was. He leant and pressed a kiss to his temple.

“I would never let anything like that happen to you,” he promised, not needing to guess what had been playing on Merlin’s mind for most of the afternoon.

“You wouldn’t have had a choice,” Merlin murmured in response. “If I wasn’t yours, you probably wouldn’t even know I existed.”

Arthur had no answer to that, nothing that wouldn’t sound a complete lie, anyway. They sat in silence for a moment before the prince sighed.

“We need to wake her up. She has to go back.”

Merlin looked even more upset at those words, but he gestured for Arthur to step away. The man did so, watching as Merlin gently coaxed Freya back into waking up. This time, there was just acceptance in her eyes when she looked at Arthur, as if she finally understood that he was just trying to help and nothing more. Before either man had the chance to say anything else, she had slipped off the bed and stood with her head down. She clearly knew why they had woken her up and was accepting her fate.

“Tell him I ordered you,” Arthur said, his voice soft. “Make him know that you had no choice and were just doing as you were told.” The last thing he needed was for their hard work to be undone by Valiant having a fit of rage. Freya nodded obediently and stepped towards the door. As she continued her journey across the room, Arthur remembered what Morgana had said.

“And tell him…tell him…” He needed something that wasn’t damaging, but also not general knowledge. “Tell him I don’t trust the king’s nobles.”

It was true. But even if Valiant shouted it from the castle turrets, it was nothing more than a rumour. The nobles didn’t like him either, seeing him as soft-hearted and not truly Uther’s heir. But they couldn’t do anything. Even if his father didn’t trust him, he still wouldn’t condone his nobles directly challenging Arthur. Despite their differences, Arthur was still the future king and that offered him some protection. Surprise flittered over Freya’s face as she realised what she had been told and why. This time, she bobbed a curtsey before moving silently out of the room. Valiant would now believe that she had done what she was told and with any luck, would overlook her state.

Before Arthur could think through what he had done, lips were pressed on is and he smiled into it as Merlin pressed close, his hands slipping under Arthur’s jacket. Arthur allowed him to stay there for a few moments before regretfully detaching himself.

“You better make yourself scarce,” he said quietly, his voice heavy. “I give it an hour tops before someone reacts to what has just happened.”

“I’m staying right here.” Merlin’s hands had left his waist, but one cupped his cheek and forced Arthur to look into his eyes. “I’m staying with you, no matter what.”

Arthur wanted to argue, to claim that it wasn’t safe. But he could see by the look in Merlin’s eyes that he had no intention of backing down on this and if he was honest, Arthur wanted the company. He kissed his nose.

“Find something useful to do then, I’ve actually got work to do.” He had been so focused on the slavery issue that his reports were falling behind. He couldn’t give his father a reason to start taking away his duties, so he poured a goblet of water, dipped his quill in the ink and began to read.

His prediction was spot on. He had made it about halfway through his reports – enough that no one had cause for complain – when heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the corridor. Arthur recognised the tread to be that of guards and he sighed. He should have known that his father wouldn’t come alone. He glanced around, seeing that Merlin was sitting on the floor with a pile of boots next to him and gave the man a reassuring smile.

“Don’t react,” he said quietly before turning back to his work. The last thing that he wanted was for Merlin to be dragged into this. Still, he couldn’t deny his heart was pounding. This was the first time he had actively done something, knowing his father would both find out and not approve.

The door burst open.

The king stopped in the doorway for a moment, framed impressively. As he looked up, Arthur suddenly felt like a young child again and he had to steel himself.

“Explain yourself,” Uther snarled, moving further into the room. For once, he didn’t look at Merlin. Although the door was left open, the guards blocked it.

“Excuse me?”

“Valiant claims you’ve deliberately undermined him due to the way you treated his slave…”

“I wanted them to look pretty, Father,” Arthur said coldly, anger masking the hatred of his own words. “She looked a mess. I rectified that before taking my pleasure.”

“You lie,” Uther’s voice was just as deadly as his son’s. “He also claims that she is untouched.”

“Well that’s a lie,” Arthur muttered with an eye-roll. Valiant was so rough with Freya that any time she had had here wouldn’t have been enough to heal what he did to her. Glancing up, he saw that his father was watching him with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“You go too far this time, Arthur,” he said quietly, before gesturing to the guards. “Take him.”

Arthur braced himself, prepared to argue that he wasn’t going to be dragged off like a criminal just because he had wanted things to be a bit different. But the guards walked straight past him and the yelp that came from behind meant Merlin hadn’t expected them to grab him either.

Arthur’s heart dropped.

“What are you doing?”

“I can hardly be seen to punish you so directly,” Uther said dismissively, beginning to walk from the room. “So your slave can be your whipping boy as well.”

Arthur stood, shoving back his chair as Merlin was dragged past him, wild fear in the other man’s eyes. Arthur stepped forward, knowing he had to help.

Then realised he didn’t have a clue what to do that wouldn’t put Merlin in more danger.


	18. Chapter 18

Arthur followed behind as if in some sort of daze. His instincts were alert though for he did not venture too close to those in front, knowing that his father would somehow make it worse for Merlin if Arthur interfered. He had been the one to bring this about, and if Uther realised just how much it was hurting Arthur that Merlin was going to be the one to pay the price, he would increase whatever punishment he had in mind. His father’s words ringing in his ears were sending shivers down Arthur’s spine.

_Whipping boy._

The king had to know of the dangers of a whipping, and considering his attitude towards Merlin so far, he couldn’t want to kill him? The thoughts were doing nothing to ease Arthur’s mind and he tripped along in their wake, making the same turns they did without ever truly realising where he was being led.

It was only when he almost fell on the steps and a blast of cold air hit him that he realised they had entered the dungeon. Whatever Uther had planned would be made worse by the cold and Arthur knew that he had to do something. He had managed to lie to the man before and get away with it. Surely there had to be something he could say to take the punishment away from Merlin and onto himself?

Their pace had increased, almost as if Uther was eager to get on with it. When Arthur heard Merlin cry out as he clearly stumbled, the prince broke into a run. But he arrived at the entrance to the cell just as the door clanged shut. Grasping a bar, Arthur made to wrench it open again. But it didn’t matter how much he tugged, the door stayed shut. The king had locked it behind him, sealing him, Merlin and the two guards into the cell, leaving Arthur on the outside. Keeping his fist clenched around the bar, Arthur could only watch, helpless, as the guards stripped off Merlin’s shirt and forced his hands into manacles. Merlin twisted and tried to squirm away, but there was nothing he could do as his arms were forced over his head. He was still standing in the middle of the cell, but the chain was drawn tight and fastened into the wall, leaving Merlin almost on tip-toes.

“Father…” Arthur began, his voice shocked. Merlin’s head whipped around and he looked surprised to see Arthur there. As if Arthur was going to leave him to deal with this alone, but when Arthur caught his eye, Merlin shook his head. Arthur smiled gently back, knowing what the man wanted. Merlin wanted him to stay quiet, to let him take the punishment as his way of protecting Arthur. But the prince couldn’t let that happen and he cleared his throat, attempting to speak again.

His father, however, got there first.

“If you utter another word, Arthur, I will have you gagged and thrown in the next cell.” The king’s voice was deadly calm and Arthur almost choked as he tried to swallow his words. He couldn’t allow himself to be locked up. It was bad enough there was one locked door between him and Merlin: two would mean Arthur had no chance to help. Uther glanced his way and smirked.

“See, you can be obedient when you wish to. Why did you cross Valiant, Arthur? You knew perfectly well what you were doing cleaning up his whore, and now he wishes you punished for it. The tournament is in three weeks and I expect you to maintain your status as champion. I cannot touch you, much as I wish I could take you over my knee the way I could when you were a boy.”

Arthur flushed, hoping the dim light of the cells disguised it. He could remember the thrashings his father had given him all too well. But in true Uther style, he only cared about maintaining the Pendragon reputation, and his way of doing that was Arthur winning the tournament.

“It was just for my own amusement, Father,” Arthur risked saying, keeping his voice low and submissive. For a split second, he thought that he had got away with it as Uther glanced at him again and sighed.

“Even if that is the case, you misled Valiant and he is demanding recompense. This ends the matter.” Holding out his hand, Uther gestured to the guard and Arthur’s heart lurched. His father had meant it seriously and Arthur could only watch as he was handed a whip. Glancing at Merlin, he saw that the man’s eyes had gone wide again but then he seemed to swallow and a steely expression came over his face. Arthur only just hid a sad smile. Merlin was not going to give the king the satisfaction of seeing him fearful.

Knowing that his moment of being able to say anything had passed, Arthur gritted his own teeth and his fists clenched. The guards stepped back, but it came as no surprise. Arthur had known since they had entered the dungeons that Uther would perform the punishment himself. This wasn’t just about Valiant; he had wanted Merlin and been denied it. He was punishing them both.

And there was nothing Arthur could do to stop it as his father moved behind Merlin and lifted his arm. Arthur found himself shifting position, moving until he was more in Merlin’s eyeline. Just as Uther’s arm came slashing forward, Merlin caught his gaze and held it.

His whole body jerked at the impact as the whip sliced across his back and Arthur could see him swallowing his cry of pain. Arthur forced emotion from his own face, allowing only an encouraging smile to emerge. He would keep Merlin grounded, it was the least that he could do. And by looking at his lover, it meant that he didn’t have to see the sadistic pleasure crossing Uther’s face when his third blow drew a whimper from Merlin.

As soon as Arthur realised his father was enjoying this, he knew the man wasn’t planning on stopping. He wanted to protest immediately, but he forced himself to wait until the sixth blow and tears were streaming down Merlin’s face in agony as he struggled to keep from voicing his pain.

“Only ten, Sire, I beg you. Or you will be putting him out of action for months.” Arthur knew how long a whipping took to heal and he kept his face neutral as Uther glanced at him. But then his father glanced at Merlin’s back – something right now Arthur was glad he couldn’t see – and he nodded.

The next four blows seemed to stretch far longer than Arthur had ever thought possible and he knew his father was putting as much force in as he could. But eventually the tenth blow fell and Uther dropped the whip. He stalked to the door and one of the guards hurried forward, unlocking it. The king strode out and Arthur forced himself to drop his hand, trying to make it appear as if he hadn’t been clinging on as if the whip had cut through him every time as well.

“Don’t make a fool of yourself again,” Uther muttered before striding from the dungeons, both guards on his heels. Arthur hurried in, making short work of releasing Merlin from the chains and gently lowering him to the floor. He went to find him some water and was surprised by how steady his hand was as he held the bowl to Merlin’s lips, encouraging him to sip a little. But then he couldn’t put it off any longer and he had to force himself to look at Merlin’s back.

The water splashed out over the floor and Arthur had to put the bowl down before he dropped it. But as soon as he did so, a hand weakly gripped his.

“Better me than you.”

“How can you say that?” Arthur murmured gently, knowing that he couldn’t give a voice to the anger coursing through him right now. Merlin’s back was covered in blood and Arthur could see at least six places where the whip had actually cut into his skin. The rest was a mass of red welts and Arthur knew it would only be worse as the bruising came forth.

“Because now you can kill him in the tournament.” Merlin’s voice was surprisingly steady and Arthur looked into his eyes for a moment. But that was all he got, for it seemed Merlin had clung onto consciousness just long enough to tell Arthur that before he gave up the fight and his eyes rolled back in his head. Arthur found the man’s head resting on his leg and his hand combing methodically through his hair, but he couldn’t move. He had no idea whether he should move him or not considering the blood dripping from his back.

“Sire!” Arthur jumped but twisted to see Leon looking through the cell door at him, his eyes wide in shock. “What…”

“Don’t ask,” Arthur muttered, a sharpness to his tone. He wasn’t ready to explain yet, to admit that it was his fault. It should have crossed his mind that there was a chance he wouldn’t be the one to suffer the consequences of what had just happened. “Just help me.”

“Of course,” Leon opened the door and instantly dropped to his knees. Quick hands gathered Merlin close and before Arthur could call a warning, Leon had straightened up with the servant in his arms.

“His back-,”

“Trust me,” Leon said, his voice kind. “He can’t feel this.”

There was nothing Arthur could say to that, knowing Leon was right. Merlin was unconscious, and they couldn’t leave him down here.

“Get Gaius, Arthur,” the knight continued, using a tone that he hadn’t need to since Arthur had been small. “I’ll meet you in your chambers.”

Mutely, Arthur just watched as Leon strode with confident steps out of the dungeons, taking Merlin with him. Arthur felt that he should have been the one to do that, but he wasn’t sure he could hold Merlin’s dead weight, not considering how much he still seemed to be shaking. As he straightened up, Arthur had a split-second warning to double back over before he had thrown up.

Then he left the cell, wanting it gone from his mind forever. He was responsible for hurting the man he loved. How could he ever forgive himself for that?

But now was not the time. As soon as he was out of the dungeons, Arthur felt his legs steady and he made swift progress to Gaius’ chambers. Thankfully, the physician was in his rooms when Arthur burst in.

“What is….Arthur? Sit down, you look like you’re going-,”

“No time,” Arthur muttered, grabbing the man’s medicine bag and then grasping Gaius’ sleeve, pulling him from the room as he did so. The old man stumbled behind him for a moment until Arthur slowed his pace.

“What is it?” Just as Leon had done, Gaius had a tone that got through to Arthur. The prince swallowed, finally forcing himself to meet the man’s eyes.

“I got Merlin hurt,” he said simply, not wanting to hide the truth of the matter. Concern flickered across Gaius’ face, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he just quickened his pace and soon it was Arthur who was hurrying to catch up. Not that he complained however.

But when he reached his rooms, Arthur found that he couldn’t enter. He had done this. He thought that he could go against his father and he had been wrong. And – as per usual – it hadn’t been him to pay the price.

“Arthur. We need you here, now.” Gaius sounded sharp and Arthur obediently hurried in, closing the door behind him. Now was not the time to think of how wrong things had just gone. Now was the time to do whatever Gaius needed from him in order to help Merlin.

MMM

That was the only thing that Merlin was aware of, although for how long he had no idea.

Sometimes he felt as if he was about to wake up, as if he could respond to the concerned voices calling his name. But every time he made to force his eyes open, another wave of agony trembled through his body and sent him towards the blackness again. After the fifth time it happened, Merlin felt his own stubbornness kick back in. He _wanted_ to wake up now, wanted to stop the voices calling him. Didn’t they know that he was awake already?

“Merlin?” There was something different in the tone this time. It took Merlin a moment to realise what it was. Hope. It was then he knew that a sound had forced its way from his throat and announced to the room he was more lucid than he had been previously. A smile tugged at his lips and after a second, Merlin realised it was in response to the hand brushing through his hair.

This time, light infiltrated the slight crack he had managed to lift his lids. As Merlin tried again, he realised he wasn’t in the dungeons anymore, for the sun did not shine that brightly. Shifting in order to try and work out where he was, Merlin bit his lip just in time to stop the scream from erupting from him. He could taste blood and was breathing heavily when he realised that Arthur’s hand was still in his hair.

“Lie still,” the prince murmured, a note in his voice that Merlin didn’t remember hearing before. He almost sounded as if he was about to cry and that was enough for Merlin to wrench his eyes open. He didn’t try and move again, but he did force his arm to shift until he found Arthur’s hand and he gripped on. He knew he was probably crushing the man’s hand, but he didn’t care. He had to know Arthur was there, that this wasn’t some hallucination. Lips pressed briefly against his cheek.

“You’re alright,” Arthur soothed, “you’re going to be alright.”

“Wha-?” Merlin wanted to know what happened. He remembered the dungeons and the whipping, but that didn’t explain why he was lying on what seemed to be Arthur’s bed. The last thing he could recall was the chains being lowered and Arthur catching him. He had no recollection of their brief conversation.

“Leon helped me get you upstairs and Gaius is treating your back,” Arthur said, realising that Merlin had a few blanks that he needed filling in. As soon as Arthur mentioned his back, another throb of pain shot through his body as his attention was drawn to it again. Trying to force himself to think through the pain, Merlin became aware that some places weren’t as bad as others. Something soothing was resting over the wounds and he forced himself to focus on the feeling of relief rather than one of pain.

They both stayed quite for a few moments and Merlin became aware that they weren’t alone. Someone was changing the dressings on his back, keeping them cool and fresh as he tended to the wounds. Merlin managed a glance over his shoulder to see Gaius bustling around. His face was grave and Merlin swallowed.

“Am I going to die?” His voice was stronger this time, and remarkably steady. He had seen what happened when on the receiving end of a whip. The same soldiers who had taken him prisoner had turned on a slave on their journey back. The man hadn’t even made it to Camelot’s borders. Merlin knew Arthur. He knew the prince wouldn’t tell him. Gaius looked up fleetingly and even though his face was grave, the small smile that flickered across his features met his eyes.

“No, Merlin, you’re not. Only one is deep and they have all been cleaned. As long as you keep them clean, you’ll be fine.”

Merlin knew what Gaius wasn’t saying. If the wounds got infected, then he was going to be in danger. But as Arthur shifted next to him, Merlin allowed himself a smile. There would be no way that Arthur would let an infection turn up. He tried to shift again, knowing that he couldn’t just stay lying here. If Uther came in…

But Arthur’s hand moved until it was cupping the nape of his neck, holding him still with ease.

“Get some sleep, Merlin,” he whispered and Merlin found that his body was craving to surrender to the darkness again. Just for now, he would allow himself to rest. But when he next woke up, Merlin was determined that he wasn’t going to just lie here. He wouldn’t give the king the satisfaction of rendering him so helpless, not after everything.

“Is it over?” he forced himself to murmur, keeping his eyes open just a little longer. He hissed slightly as Gaius changed another dressing, but the soothing sensation returned when the physician lay another one across his back. It was helping take the edge of the pain and right now, Merlin was sure it was the only thing that was stopping him from screaming.

“Yes,” Arthur said, his voice equally as soft. “For now at least.”

The last part was added on so quietly that Merlin wasn’t sure he heard it to start with. But even as his brain worked to try and figure out what Arthur meant and his mouth tried to open to ask, his eyes fell shut and his body slumped.

It was dark when his eyes opened again. Judging by the shadows playing across the wall, there was a candle lit behind him. Night had fallen, but the empty space in the bed next to him, meant it wasn’t late enough that Arthur had come to bed. Merlin rolled his head on the pillow, taking a shaky breath when he had to arch his back slightly in order to do so. By the time his other cheek rested on the pillow, tears were pricking his eyes.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Merlin finally forced his gaze to focus on the room. Arthur was sitting at his desk and Arthur could see the parchment spread out in front of him. He knew what the prince was doing. After all, Arthur had been trying to get work done before Uther had arrived. Now he was no doubt making sure that everything was up to speed to stop his father finding another reason to punish him. But the prince’s posture was slumped and defeated and he was propping his head in his hand.

He looked so defeated that it hurt more than the pain from his back.

“Arthur.” His voice was barely more than a croak and Merlin blinked in surprise. Was the pain taking it out of him that much? But he didn’t have time to think about it before Arthur was up off his seat and crouched in front of him. It was clear he had heard the croak as well, for a goblet was in his hands and although it was awkward, Merlin was grateful for the sips he was able to take. Even holding his head up for that long exhausted him though and he sighed as he rested it back down on the pillow. Arthur put the goblet down, his fingers brushing through Merlin’s hair. It was obvious he wanted to comfort him but had no idea how to do so without hurting him. Hence the constant return to his hair.

But once Merlin had regained a little strength, he pulled away and shifted until he could look Arthur in the eye.

“This wasn’t your fault,” he said firmly. The way Arthur’s eyes dropped to avoid his gaze meant that Merlin knew he had been right in guessing what was wrong with the prince.

“I knew there would be consequences for doing what I did. I should have known he would have found a way…”

“You had no way of knowing,” Merlin argued. He was proud of Arthur for being prepared to take the consequences in order to help Freya. They didn’t know that it would be Merlin who paid the price. “You said you would do it again regardless of what happened to you in order to help her. Well, so would I, Arthur.”

“But I’m the one…”

“But nothing. We’re in this together. You think I like the treatment of the slaves any more than you do, knowing full well that it could have been me? That it still could if your father gave the order?”

“I wouldn’t let that happen to you.” For the first time, Arthur’s eyes snapped back to Merlin’s face and blazed with such intensity that Merlin found himself smiling. He believed that. Arthur would kill before he let Merlin be taken and used the way Freya was. It was touching, but it was not the issue at hand right now.

“Don’t you understand, Arthur? I want to help.”

Finally, Merlin felt like he had got through to the man he was supposed to call master. Arthur seemed to slump against the bed and this time, it was Merlin’s hand that moved and started playing with the stray hairs at the back of Arthur’s neck. He caressed the skin lightly.

“This isn’t just about you wanting to help now, Arthur. You’re not doing it alone. And although it hurts, I can’t pretend that I’m not grateful that I don’t have to see you in pain again. I’ve caused that too many times to you.” He was thinking of how he had knocked Arthur out, playing with his heart in order to try and escape.

“Our plans are on hold,” Arthur muttered glumly. “There’s no way you can try anything while you’re like that.”

Merlin hadn’t even thought about their attempt at freeing him from the collar. He couldn’t deny the bubble of disappointment that swelled in his stomach when he thought about the fact he would have to wear the collar for longer, but he swallowed it.

“It doesn’t matter. The plan is still in place. I will be free of it, and then we can help people like Freya without your father being able to interfere.”

Merlin felt Arthur nodding under his hand and when the prince turned to look at him, Merlin smiled in relief. The intense look had softened, but Arthur didn’t look so defeated now. Hope had once again entered his expression and Merlin could feel that he was smiling again. After a moment, Arthur frowned.

“What are you looking so happy about?” He demanded, sounding suspicious. Merlin just shook his head, letting his fingers trace Arthur’s jaw. When they neared his mouth and the prince pressed a gentle kiss to them, Merlin knew his moment had come.

“Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“I love you too, you know.”

This time, the hope bloomed across his face and into his eyes, almost looking as if Arthur was lighting up from inside. Merlin’s smile widened and he knew he had done the right thing in not saying the words simply as a response to Arthur’s. Somehow, it meant so much more now.

Arthur leant up and Merlin was more than happy to twist his head around in order to kiss him better. It was only light and fleeting, but somehow it felt so much more intense than any of their previous kisses.

“I’m going to free you,” Arthur whispered as he drew back, letting their foreheads rest together for a moment. Merlin’s smile turned fond.

“I know you will.” He didn’t know what else to say other than that. It wasn’t just words, he truly believed it. Uther using him as Arthur’s punishment only increased Arthur’s determination to end this, once and for all. Regardless of everything else that had happened over the last few months, if there was one thing Merlin knew for sure, it was that Arthur was a man of his word.

He had sworn Merlin would be free and so he would be. It was just going to take a little bit of time.


	19. Chapter 19

Merlin spent two days in bed before deciding that he was bored and he had had enough. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Arthur was there with him, but the prince seemed to have banished himself to the training grounds for most of the day and would only arrive back, exhausted, as the sun was beginning to set. The first day Merlin didn’t say anything about it, but when he saw Arthur preparing to train again the next, he found himself asking why.

Arthur had always trained, but not like this before. The look the prince gave him meant Merlin had a feeling he had missed something somewhere. Arthur just muttered about needing to win the tournament and left, leaving Merlin searching through the haze that was his thoughts of the last few days to find out what he had meant. It had taken most of the day of brooding for him to put the pieces together. Although he knew Arthur would want to win the tournament and it would be a way of smoothing things over with Uther for a while at least, there was something more to it than that.

It was just before Arthur returned on the second day that Merlin remembered what he had said. He had asked Arthur to kill Valiant. And judging by this new training regime, that was precisely what Arthur planned to do.

Merlin didn’t know whether to feel relieved or sickened with himself that he wished someone’s death. But as his back smarted with movement and images of Freya’s terrified gaze swam in his mind, he felt his resolve stiffen. Valiant was a brute.

But knowing how hard Arthur was working to try and make Merlin’s wish become a reality lighted a fire within the warlock. When Arthur left on the third day, Merlin gritted his teeth and pushed back the blankets. Gaius had checked the wounds the day before and declared there was no sign of infection and they were beginning to heal nicely. Merlin knew it wouldn’t be quick enough for his liking though, and he had no intention of lying in Arthur’s bed for the whole time of his recovery. He was going to be at the tournament and he was going to watch when Arthur made good on his promise.

That meant, however, that he needed to train his body as much as Arthur. For when he swung his legs over the side and gingerly tried to make it into a standing position, Merlin felt himself cry out as he almost fell. It was unnerving how quickly his own body had turned against him. Two days in bed and he could barely move. Merlin could feel his legs shaking beneath him but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to straighten. It was easier said than done, however, and Merlin didn’t dare let go of the bed.

“Merlin?”

Jumping in surprise was not a good idea and this time, the cry did slip past Merlin’s clenched lips as his whole body jerked. He hadn’t even heard the door open, but Lancelot was standing there, watching him in concern. There was a key in his hand and even as Merlin watched, he shut the door and locked it again. Merlin knew it wasn’t Arthur locking him in – although that would be his excuse if anyone asked. It was keeping others out, but it was clear he trusted Lancelot.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Merlin snapped, breathing heavily through his nose. It was only a split-second later did he realise who he was addressing and he glanced at Lancelot. But the knight looked completely nonplussed and Merlin forced himself to relax. This was the man who had ventured across the border and into enemy territory to give Merlin a chance to see his mother. He wasn’t about to rebuke him for talking to a knight like that when he was no more than a slave.

“I thought Gaius told you to rest?” There wasn’t any judgement in Lancelot’s voice, but Merlin was sure he could detect some faint amusement. Merlin just avoided shrugging again.

“I’m bored,” he said simply, not even attempting to lie. It wouldn’t get him anywhere, Lancelot was more likely to force him back to bed if he tried to come up with something more elaborate. His gamble paid off as the knight’s mouth twitched and he unbuckled his sword, lying it on the table before moving across the room.

“Then maybe I can help,” he said simply, reaching out a hand towards the staggering man. Merlin had to physically force his hand to let go of the bed and as he did so, he could feel his body beginning to sway. But he lunged for Lancelot and grabbed onto the man’s wrist. The knight moved closer, gradually straightening Merlin and helping to steady him. Before he knew it, Merlin found himself standing up properly and he grinned in success.

“You know you still have to take it slowly, right?” Lancelot murmured, a hint of disapproval in his voice. While it was clear that Merlin shouldn’t be doing this, he also didn’t seem to want to be the one to tell him he couldn’t.

“Help me get to the table?” Merlin said through gritted teeth. Lancelot nodded and shifted his grip so that he was supporting Merlin better. Gradually, one shuffling step at a time, Merlin made it across the room and immediately sank into a chair, only just remembering not to lean back. His back was paining him with more intensity again now and he could feel that he was shaking. Lancelot sat down next to him, pouring out some water from the jug on the table and sliding it across. Trembling fingers wrapped around the goblet, but Merlin took a sip.

“I don’t understand how I’m so weak after just two days,” he muttered, realising that he was fighting back tears. Arthur was right; it was going to take an age before he was ready to try and free himself from the collar.

“Your body has been through a great ordeal…” Lancelot began, but Merlin shook his head.

“It’s been through worse,” he muttered. All too clearly could he remember how it felt when Uther had threatened to crush his windpipe that first day in Camelot. Physically, that might not be the same. But Merlin knew that feeling something emotionally was more draining than feeling it physically, and he had been through hell during his first month here.

“You have to give yourself time.”

Merlin tried to move again, but Lancelot leant over and rested a hand on his shoulder. It was a comforting gesture, but there was no mistaking the firmness in the hold. He wasn’t letting Merlin up and the warlock didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The one time he wanted to push himself physically, to do something that stopped him from feeling so weak, and someone was there to stop him just because they cared.

“I don’t have time,” he settled for saying, letting his body slump again. Lancelot’s hand stayed where it was for a moment before he drew it away. He didn’t seem sure whether he should trust Merlin’s slump or not, but as Merlin let his head rest on the table and ignored the way it made his back stretch, Lancelot relaxed.

“Why not?”

Merlin knew that Elyan was the only one who knew about the plan. Arthur had even thrown him out to make sure the guards knew he was innocent. He couldn’t tell Lancelot that he didn’t have time because he had to find a way to recover and break free of his collar before any of the other slaves suffered the way Freya did. He sighed.

“I asked him to kill Valiant,” he muttered. Lancelot’s hand returned to his shoulder, but this time it was only comforting. Glancing up at him, Merlin could see the understanding in the man’s eyes. Lancelot seemed to know that Merlin had to be there when that happened. He had to see Arthur victorious, for it wouldn’t only be Valiant that he defeated. If Arthur killed Valiant, it would show his father that he wasn’t soft. He wasn’t a coward, he just knew who to protect.

“You’ve taken the first few steps,” Lancelot said, his voice soft. “Literally. That is a start. But overdoing it will only set you back. If Arthur worries about you, it will break his concentration.”

Merlin almost sat up at that before realising it would hurt and stayed still. He hadn’t thought of it that way. But rather than making him want to rest, Lancelot’s words only made him want to recover more. He couldn’t be Arthur’s weakness. But he knew while the collar was around his neck, that was precisely what he was. Before he could say anything, however, there came the sound of a key in the lock. Lancelot’s hand dropped from his shoulder just as Arthur walked in.

It took the prince a moment to notice the scene as he took his time in locking the door again. But his eyes went wide when he saw what was in front of him.

“What are you doing out of bed?” He demanded, his tone making Merlin flush like a scolded child. Deciding to go for revenge, he lifted an eyebrow.

“It’s boring without you in it. So I went for a walk. Lance escorted me.”

For a moment, he thought Arthur was going to explode. But then the man glanced down at the key in his hand and realised that Merlin hadn’t literally meant they had strolled around the castle. Arthur breathed out and Merlin felt the tension in the room lift. As Lancelot took that moment to escape, Merlin used the time that Arthur was facing the other way to lock the door again to sit up. He didn’t want the prince to see him wince.

“How was training?”

“Why are you out of bed?”

Merlin knew by the look on Arthur’s face that he wasn’t backing down on this. Merlin ran a hand over his face before looking Arthur straight in the eye.

“I’m not going to be a weakness to you anymore.”

“What?”

“I can’t regain my strength lying in bed, Arthur. And I can’t get the collar off until I’m stronger, we both know that. So I’m going to do all I can to free myself.”

“Why does that make you my weakness?”

Smiling gently at the confusion in Arthur’s voice, Merlin took the prince’s hand, stroking his thumb over the man’s knuckles.

“All the slaves are, Arthur,” he whispered softly, lifting the hand to kiss it. “That’s why you went against Valiant. You feel the need to protect anyone with a collar, and considering I’m the one you see the most, that puts me at the top of that list. I’m getting this collar off and freeing the others, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Merlin…”

“Don’t worry,” Merlin soothed, resting Arthur's hand back on the table and staring down at it. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Somehow, Merlin knew his words to be true. He no longer just wanted to escape so that he could be connected to his magic again and be free rather than a slave. It was more than that. He knew how hard Arthur was fighting in order to change the kingdom he would one day inherit, and Merlin suddenly realised he wanted to help. He wanted to be free so that Arthur could prove himself a different man to his father. If that meant freeing every other slave in the process, then that was what it was going to take.

When Merlin dared to glance up, it was to see Arthur open his mouth to say something. But his newfound determination must have shown in his expression, for the words died before Arthur uttered them. Instead, the prince just lent forward and kissed him firmly.

And it was with that kiss that Merlin knew his thoughts wouldn’t be disappearing any time soon.

MMM

Arthur was breathing heavily as he felt his sword slide free of its own accord. He knew Valiant was a good fighter, but he hadn’t expected the fight to be that evenly matched. Their blades had clashed for almost an hour, exhaustion settling into both opponents and threatening to make their movements clumsy. But Arthur knew he had an advantage. Valiant might be fighting for the honour and glory of winning, but Arthur was fighting for the slaves. Not just Merlin and Freya, but all of them. It was that determination that forced his fingers to wrap once more around the hilt of his sword and it had been that determination that had eventually allowed him to lunge forward as Valiant stepped back and drive the blade into the man’s stomach.

Valiant collapsed almost on his feet as Arthur let the sword hang limply. He glanced up, instinct forcing him to look at his father first. Despite their differences, he could still see a sliver of pride in the man’s expression as the king nodded at him and declared him the champion. As the crowd erupted with cheers, Arthur’s gaze slid on and he finally allowed himself to relax.

Safely between Leon and Gwen, with Lancelot the other side of Gwen, Merlin smiled at him. It wasn’t the beam he could see on everyone else’s faces that their prince had won. It was a quiet smile, one that acknowledged that Arthur had kept his promise and avenged Merlin’s back.

Ever since he had first seen Merlin out of bed and declaring that he wouldn’t be a weakness, Arthur had known the man would make it to the stands today. Without thinking about where he was, Arthur smiled back and dipped his head before striding from the arena. Gaius hurried in past him as he did so, his medicine bag clutched in his hand. Arthur wanted to tell him that he wouldn’t need it, but he didn’t want to sound too cold over a man’s death.

Once he was in his tent, Arthur sank into a seat, taking a moment to just breathe. His arms and legs were trembling slightly with the ferocity of the fight and his armour was wearing him down. He forced a hand to rise, fumbling with the buckle on his shoulder. He couldn’t get a decent grip on it, but before he could think of calling for someone, slender fingers folded over his. Merlin’s hands moved the prince’s out of the way and Arthur stayed still as the man helped him out of the armour.

As soon as it hit the floor, Arthur rolled his shoulders with a groan. As the armour moved, he glanced around to see Merlin hadn’t come alone, Leon was still with him. As the knight began sorting out the armour and placing it down properly, Arthur nodded at him. Leon returned the gesture, sorted out the armour and left, knowing that he was no longer needed. There was no need to make sure Merlin was protected now that he was with Arthur.

“You did it,” Merlin’s voice was quiet and carefully controlled. Arthur glanced at him.

“You doubted that I would?”

“No,” Merlin moved around until he was kneeling in front of the prince as he spoke, his hands coming to rest on Arthur’s thighs. “You promised. There was no doubt in my mind.”

Arthur’s hand lifted until he was cradling Merlin’s cheek, smiling as the man tilted his face into the caress and let his eyes drift shut. His words might have said one thing, but Arthur could literally see the tension leaving him now the fight was over. Arthur knew why. It wasn’t just his life on the line; if he had lost there was no doubt in Arthur’s mind Valiant would have asked for Merlin and Uther would have granted his request.

“It’s over,” Arthur murmured, dropping his hand so that he could roll his neck as he spoke. He ached all over and would like nothing more than a long bath to ease his muscles. He knew the banquet would be that evening but he still had some time before he was expected to make his presence known. Stretching out his arms, he got to his feet and helped Merlin up. “Let’s get out of here.”

Although Merlin had to grip his arm and their pace was slower than usual, Arthur had to admit to being impressed. No one would know at a glance the man had been whipped a few weeks before, although Arthur had been witness to Merlin’s frustration at how slow his recovery was. But even if Uther hadn’t seen him there today, Arthur knew word would get back to the king and that gave him as much satisfaction as winning. Uther would know that neither of them would be kept down.

But for now, those were thoughts for another day. Adrenaline was still coursing through him even though fatigue was taking hold and Merlin’s body was warm against his as they navigated their way back to his rooms. Each step he took drove the idea of a bath further from Arthur’s mind and he rested his head lightly against Merlin’s shoulder. The man’s hand came up to play with his hair and Arthur began pressing his lips against skin.

He could feel Merlin laughing silently beside him and it was enough for Arthur to wrap an arm around his waist, making sure it was low enough to avoid the healing wounds. He didn’t care who saw them as his hand slipped under Merlin’s shirt. Merlin shivered as Arthur spread his palm over his lower back.

“I want you,” he whispered in his ear before nuzzling into his neck again. He knew they were near to his chambers now, and for that he was grateful for. Merlin let out a soft sound and leant closer into Arthur, sending desire sparking through the prince’s veins. How they made it to his rooms, Arthur wasn’t sure. But somehow, he was soon shutting the door behind him. His gut reaction was to slam Merlin into it in order to get closer than possible to the man. Some rational part of Arthur’s brain, however, was to remind him that Merlin had just been whipped a couple of weeks ago. While he was healing, that would hurt.

So instead, Arthur moved across the room until he slid Merlin onto the edge of the table, curling his hand around the man’s neck and pulling him closer. They kissed for a while, and Arthur found himself smiling when he realised that Merlin’s hand had slipped up his shirt and was softly stroking the skin there. Pulling back just an inch, Arthur pulled it off before repeating the process to Merlin, tugging the material over his head before ducking his own head to Merlin’s chest and twirling his tongue around a nipple. Merlin gasped, instantly arching into him as his hands scrabbled for Arthur’s shoulders, his nails catching his back as he did so.

When Merlin’s leg somehow had half wrapped around his waist, Arthur knew he couldn’t entirely blame adrenaline anymore. Merlin wanted this as much as he did. Killing Valiant had removed another obstacle in their way. This was about more than them.

But the rest of the world could be damned for all Arthur cared right now.

“Bed,” he muttered, surprising himself with how hoarse his voice had sounded. It was as if he had growled the word and considering Merlin’s shiver, he wasn’t the only one to think so. How he kept his hands to himself enough for Merlin to get off the table, he had no idea. But Arthur occupied himself by stripping off his boots and trousers, vaguely aware of Merlin doing the same thing as he moved towards the bed.

Finally, Arthur could hungrily devour the man who was supposed to be his slave and somehow ended up as his lover. Merlin had spread himself across the bed and gave an innocent smile as Arthur tried to stop his legs from shaking as he stepped closer. It was quite obvious he knew precisely what he was doing to the prince and Arthur found himself pulling on old training techniques and disciplines to stop himself from reacting too fast.

Brushing a hand down Merlin’s chest, he crawled onto the bed, sucking marks into his skin as he went. He was aching with need, and yet something was making him go slow, wanting this to last. Bending Merlin’s leg towards his chest, he softly kissed the inside of his knee before realising they had a problem. Crashing down beside him, Arthur groaned as he threw an arm over his face.

“I can’t.”

“We have time…”

“It’s not that,” he muttered. His body was making it quite obvious that he wanted this, so he knew Merlin couldn’t be mistaken about that. “I want you too much. Your back won’t take it.”

“Oh.”

Glancing at him, Arthur knew it hadn’t even crossed Merlin’s mind what being pushed into the bed would do. But while Arthur was trying to calm his own body down, Merlin suddenly grinned again. Arthur had no time to react before Merlin was suddenly straddling him. Both his hands were caught in Merlin’s and pressed into the pillow. Arthur felt his body jolt in reaction to the dominant behaviour and judging by Merlin’s smirk, he felt it too.

“Well, who knew,” Merlin muttered, his voice low as he leant forward and licked a stripe up Arthur’s neck. “You like being dominated.”

The sound of Merlin’s voice made Arthur’s hips buck on their own accord and he freed a hand easily to drag Merlin down into a kiss. Merlin’s other hand disappeared and Arthur could tell by the soft noises that he was making that he was stretching himself. Distracting him by plundering his mouth, Arthur waited until Merlin drew back. He was flushed and panting, but simply gripped Arthur’s cock and sunk himself onto it. Both moaned at the sensation and Arthur bucked again, driving himself into Merlin’s body. Thighs shaking, Merlin started riding him properly and Arthur found his hands going to the man’s hips, steadying him as he met Merlin’s rhythm.

He could already feel his toes curling when he realised he wanted to be so much closer. Holding Merlin steady, Arthur sat up, causing Merlin to cry out as his angle changed. He was even deeper now, their bodies flush together. Entwining his fingers with Merlin’s hair, Arthur used his other hand to prop them both up as he continued to thrust.

Panting heavily into Merlin’s neck, it didn’t take long until spasms of pleasure wracked his body and he came. He forced himself to stay upright though, removing his hand from Merlin’s hair and making short work of stroking the other man to completion. Still refusing to lie down, Arthur sought out his lips and kissed him deeply.

“I love you,” he murmured, whispering the words into Merlin’s neck and lining them with promises of a better future. He felt Merlin’s fingers brush through his hair and when he looked up, it was to see a tender look on his face.

“So do I,” Merlin responded with a smile, and it was enough for Arthur to finally fall back. Merlin came with him, nestled between his legs with his head resting on Arthur’s chest. Automatically, Arthur’s fingers found his hair and he softly stroked it back from Merlin’s sweaty forehead, pressing a lingering kiss there instead.

“You need to win fights more often,” Merlin murmured sleepily, shifting to get more comfortable. Unable to stop himself, Arthur started laughing. After staring at him as if he was mad, it only took Merlin a moment until he was joining in and Arthur felt as if everything was right with the world.

Neither of them heard the door quietly shutting.


	20. Chapter 20

Although he wasn’t ready to try and fight the collar, Merlin couldn’t deny that he felt stronger over the next few days. It wasn’t as if his back had suddenly stopped hurting, it still twinged when he stretched too far and he still had some trouble moving. Physically, nothing had changed. But he felt closer to Arthur than ever after Valiant’s defeat. Something had been so intimate between them that Merlin had felt tears in his eyes when they were making love and when he looked back to it, he found that he was grinning. Luckily, it hadn’t yet happened where other people could see.

He had told Arthur that he loved him, and it had been true. But now he was feeling what it was like to truly be in love. It didn’t feel like anything could stop them, not considering everything they had been through so far. There was a smile in Arthur’s eyes when he looked over at Merlin and Merlin knew that he no longer saw the collar or the cuffs around Merlin’s wrists, even when they were the only things left on him. It had been a long time since Arthur had seen him as a slave, and Merlin was feeling ready for the day when the rest of the world followed suit.

There was a bounce in his step as he strode the corridors. He didn’t have anything to do in particular, but the pair of them had invented different jobs around the castle. It meant that if Merlin was stopped and challenged, he just picked the closest place and claimed that he was going there for Arthur. So far, no one had stopped him but Merlin was thankful that he had some sort of security. While the day was getting closer for his freedom, it wasn’t here yet and he knew not all of the knights and guards were as understanding as Lancelot and Leon.

“Morning, Merlin.” A voice broke into his daydream and Merlin blinked, grinning when he saw two maids walking in the opposite direction to him. Now he was over his fear, he had a new confidence with the other serving staff and before his whipping had spent many hours in the kitchen when Arthur was busy.

“Morning, girls,” he called back, rolling his eyes when they giggled and hurried off. Somehow, the knowledge that he was in Arthur’s bed – willingly rather than as a slave – made him an object of fascination for the maids and more than once the Cook had had to rescue him – furiously blushing – from their questions. He wasn’t sure why they wanted to know so much!

Although he had been planning to go and see Gwen, Merlin changed direction. It had been a while since he had been down in the kitchens and he was anxious to reassure his friends that he was healing after the punishment and was ready to endure their questions again. Arthur had specifically told him he shouldn’t stay out long, clearly still worried that he wasn’t ready to be walking around. But being out of the room was doing wonders for the warlock. He hated feeling trapped, even if it was because of his own body, and being able to walk to the corridors again helped more than he could ever explain to Arthur.

Taking a short cut down a quieter corridor – the maids might be his friends, but Merlin had no intention of being ignored or sneered at by anyone else he crossed – Merlin didn’t hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late. Slowing, Merlin felt his heart skip a beat when the following steps also slowed. He didn’t look around, but instead sped up. The corridor wasn’t that long and he would be safe when he was back in the open again. But his follower was faster than he was and before Merlin reached the end, a hand grabbed his shoulder, turning him.

Preparing to strike out, a gasp escaped his throat when he saw the guard. It was the same man who had attacked him all those months ago, and there was an ugly look on his face. Merlin instantly lashed out, shoving him in the shoulder and trying to get him to back away. But the guard tightened his grip on Merlin’s own arm and in one movement, slammed him against the wall. Merlin groaned as his back erupted with fire and his head collided harshly with the stone. Dazed, he barely realised that he had fallen to his knees until he was being hauled up again.

“Someone wants to see you,” the guard sneered, grabbing both of Merlin’s wrists. Merlin struggled, kicking out when he realised his arms were pinned. This couldn’t be happening again. But although the guard winced, he ignored Merlin’s struggles and used his own body to pin him against the stonework. Merlin felt himself freezing at the close proximity, knowing full well what this man had wanted from him before. But the guard didn’t seem to notice, tightly binding Merlin’s wrists together before pulling away. Without giving the slave a chance to fight back, he grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pulled him away from the wall.

No matter how much Merlin tried to fight back, the guard was twice the size of him and at least three times as strong. Instead, Merlin turned his attention to the ropes around his wrists. They were tight; Merlin could see (and feel) the way they were pinching his skin. It crossed his mind that his magic might be enough to loosen them, but he didn’t want to try it just yet. He knew how much it set him back if he used his power and he wanted the collar off more than he wanted his hands free. So instead, he tried using the cuffs already locked around his wrists, hoping that he could catch the edge against the rope and cut through it.

Deep down, though, Merlin knew that he wouldn’t have nearly enough time to free himself unless the guard locked him up somewhere. Still, he rubbed and twisted his wrists as much as he could while being pulled along, aware that they were taking the deserted corridors and they hadn’t passed even a servant. Merlin knew that was bad. If he didn’t come back, Arthur would have no idea. Digging in his heels, Merlin forced himself to a stop.

“Help!” He yelled as loudly as he could. “Someone help me!”

The guard reacted fast, spinning around and backhanding him sharply. Merlin almost fell, but he let out another shout. He didn’t care who heard him; any sort of disturbance would help Arthur find him if he couldn’t get out of this himself. But before he could yell again, the guard ripped off a strip of his shirt and gagged him with it. Coughing and spluttering, Merlin didn’t have time to regain his balance before a door had been opened and a sharp shove sent him stumbling in. The guard didn’t waste any time, kicking out at his knees and forcing Merlin to drop to the floor.

As he turned to get back up, Merlin froze at the knife in the man’s hand. Instead, he changed plan and tried to squirm backwards across the floor. The guard grabbed his leg, holding him still as he straddled him, using his weight to keep Merlin pinned to the floor. Merlin bucked upwards, fighting for all he was worth but the man didn’t touch him. Instead, he made short work of shredding Merlin’s shirt, ripping it to piece before tearing it from his body. He stood back up as the door opened behind them.

“Took you long enough,” a voice muttered. Merlin twisted to see another guard entering through a servant’s entrance. Wherever they were, these were noble’s rooms if they had such a door.

“He put up a fight.”

“You better not have hurt him.”

Merlin made it to his feet as the guards spoke, but the second grabbed him by the hair before he could take a step towards the door. Crying out, his bound hands rose to try and free himself from the grip and the second guard joined in. Between the two of them, they manhandled Merlin across the room, shoving him sideways onto the bed. The first guard grabbed his hands, holding them across the bed and keeping him down. The second just managed to avoid Merlin’s kicking legs, grabbing the back of his neck and forcing his head into the covers, suffocating him.

Only when Merlin felt himself going limp did the man let go. Too busy trying to breathe through his nose, Merlin stayed slumped even as he felt the rest of his clothing being removed. A tear escaped from his eye. He thought he was stronger than this, but he was just as weak as when he had first ventured out of Arthur’s rooms.

Once he was naked and pinned, the second guard backed off.

“He’s ready, Sire,” he called, his voice respectful. Merlin went cold as the door opened again, letting out a muffled noise as he tried to pull away.

“Ungag him,” Uther said coldly as he strode into the room. “I want to hear him scream.”

The material was pulled from his mouth and Merlin glared.

“You’ll never get away with this,” he spat, pulling at the guard holding his wrists. He was too far across the bed, he couldn’t put his weight on his legs to give him any leverage. He only slipped when he tried, quickly scrabbling to regain some sort of footing before anyone moved closer.

“I’m the king, I can do what I want,” Uther responded. Merlin had to twist his head as the king moved around behind him. He desperately tried to think about anything other than what he was sure was coming.

“My son, however, is bound by my laws. He cannot do whatever he wants. He can’t help slaves, he certainly can’t fall in love with them.”

Any horror Merlin was feeling suddenly intensified. Uther knew. He knew how Arthur felt.

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t toy with me, boy,” Uther spat, delivering a sharp blow to the back of his head. Merlin groaned, his eyes rolling as he struggled to stay conscious. He had to stay alert, he had to fight Uther with everything he had. “I heard him confess his love. I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but I will break whatever hold you have over him. I will break you, the way I should have done when you first arrived.”

“I don’t have any hold over him,” Merlin cried, struggling again. “It’s just how he feels, what is so wrong with that? He’s happy…”

“He’s not,” Uther said, cutting through Merlin’s words. “He’s deluded and we shall see how long that lasts when you start acting like a proper slave. Hold him.”

The grip around his wrists tightened and despite his attempts to be brave, Merlin could feel that he was trembling as he heard Uther’s rustling of clothing. He couldn’t let this happen. He was Arthur’s and no one else would touch him.

Knowing that he only had one chance, Merlin forced himself to wait until Uther stepped closer. But then he trusted the grip the guard had on his wrists and lifted a leg. Driving it back as hard as he could, he knew his aim had been true when Uther let out a shout. Struggling with all his worth, Merlin succeeded in rolling over before the guard changed grip and made sure he was pinned. The king was flushed and Merlin smirked in satisfaction, but Uther wasn’t done yet.

He moved forward, quicker than Merlin had given him credit for. Using his body to keep Merlin pinned, the warlock cried out as a gloved hand grabbed his chin, forcing his mouth open. There was nothing Merlin could do as the contents of a small bottle was tipped into his mouth and his airways blocked until he swallowed.

“I’m glad you’re still fighting,” Uther hissed, sadism evident in his voice. “Breaking you is going to be delightful.”

He backed off. Out of reach, Merlin couldn’t help but note. But he was already feeling the drug, feeling his senses go blurry as he was dragged into the darkness. Just before he passed out, Merlin heard a whisper escape his lips. Uther looked furious, but Merlin lost consciousness before the king could react, clinging onto that whisper.

One for Arthur to find him.

MMM

Hearing a knock at his door, Arthur glanced up. He had taken the time to work his way through some paperwork, work that he had been neglecting due to the tournament. But now training wasn’t taking up every second of his waking hours and Merlin wasn’t in the room to distract him, he thought it was time to attend to his other duties.

“Come,” he called, placing his quill down and stretching out. He had lost track of time while he had been working. The door opened and Elyan appeared, looking apprehensive. Arthur found himself smiling though, standing even as he gestured for the man to enter. Once Elyan was inside, Arthur carefully locked the door. If anyone asked, he could say he was commissioning some new armour. But that would only work if they weren’t disturbed and no one heard the truth of what they were discussing.

“You wanted to see me?” Elyan had grown in confidence since Arthur had first approached him and the prince found it heartening to see how passionate the man got when they spoke about freeing the slaves. It gave Arthur hope the people were behind him, that they hated the way his father did things as much as Arthur did.

“I did. Merlin is getting stronger. I think it is only going to be a few weeks at the most before he is ready to attempt the collar.”

“You have to be sure,” Elyan said quietly, leaning forward in his chair. “There won’t be a second chance if this doesn’t work…”

“He’s strong enough.” Arthur didn’t know why he was so certain. He shouldn’t be, not considering it was the man he loved whose life was being gambled away. But Merlin’s determination to be free, not only for himself but for everyone, made him even stronger and Arthur was confident that he would be able to do it.

“But that’s not why I’ve asked you here today.”

“Sire?”

“If –when – Merlin breaks free, the plan is to free any enslaved sorcerer we come across.”

“Yes.” Elyan looked confused and Arthur couldn’t blame him. The blacksmith already knew this. He knew Arthur’s plan from the beginning was to free everyone he could, even if he hadn’t yet worked out how.

“We need a plan as to how. We can’t exactly roam the corridors freeing people, my father would have me locked up and Merlin killed before we had more than two collars off. We need a plan. Now,” Arthur leant back in his chair, watching Elyan closely. “I need to know whether you want to be part of this.”

“Of course,” Elyan responded without hesitating. “I’ve been in this with you since the beginning. Do you really think that I would want to stop now?”

“Up until now no one has known of your involvement. I plan to tell a few of my trusted knights and make a plan to start smuggling people out of the citadel. But we need someone in the town to help guide people.”

“I’ll do it,” Elyan said. Arthur smiled at his enthusiasm. “I meant it, Arthur. I’m in this until the end.”

“Good,” the prince found himself relaxing. If Elyan hadn’t wanted to help, it would just be another thing to work out. But Arthur felt relieved, knowing the man would do whatever it took to help. He poured out drinks for them both, but judging by the thoughtful look on Elyan’s face, he was working out what hadn’t been said.

“If you’re smuggling people out before freeing them… Then Merlin isn’t going to be in the citadel.”

“No. He’s leaving as soon as he is freed, it will be too dangerous for him here even with his magic.”

“Does he know this yet?”

Arthur didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. His face answered for him.

“Ah,” Elyan said lamely, clearly not knowing what else to say. Arthur smirked; that summed up how he was feeling exactly.

“Precisely. He won’t want to go. But he’ll see reason. I hope.” The final part was little more than a murmur. Arthur couldn’t deny that he didn’t want his lover gone from his side – it was easier to protect Merlin where he could see him. But it was out of the question for him to stay in Camelot. His father wouldn’t hold back when he found out who was responsible and considering his behaviour towards Merlin from the beginning, he would take even greater pleasure in it than usual.

“You really love him, don’t you?” Elyan’s voice was soft and he looked guarded, almost as if he wasn’t sure whether he had finally crossed the line with his prince. Considering they had been committing treason together for however long, Arthur wondered if he had always kept his emotions that closed off.

“Yes,” he said simply, knowing that lying was pointless. “Enough to get him to leave, to force him to go if that is what it takes.”

“What will you do afterwards?”

“We’ll see,” Arthur responded flippantly, trying to dismiss it as something unimportant. But deep down, he couldn’t help but feel there wouldn’t be an afterwards. He might be heir to the throne, but his father was not a forgiving man. He wouldn’t accept this level of treason and punish Arthur with just a lecture. It was why Merlin had to leave, for Arthur didn’t think he would be alive to be able to protect the man.

Elyan had no answer for that and Arthur found himself staring into the fire as the silence stretched on between them. It wasn’t awkward but it was tense; the weight of what they were planning were hanging between them.

“Sire?”

Arthur glanced up, knowing by Elyan’s formal term of address that whatever he was about to say was something that meant a lot to him. It was strange how he had picked up on Elyan’s habits during their time plotting against the king. Before Merlin, Arthur would have never admitted such a thing. But the man had made him see that feelings and emotions weren’t weakness, and now Arthur would admit that Elyan had become a friend.

Right now, however, he was refusing to meet Arthur’s eye and was twisting the edge of his shirt in a preoccupied manner.

“What is it?”

“I…”

“You know you can speak freely in front of me, Elyan.”

“Whatever happens… to me, to you…to any of us… Whatever happens can you promise that Gwen will be safe?”

Arthur didn’t know what he had been expected Elyan to say, but that wasn’t it. He relaxed, smiling gently.

“You have my word. Morgana is not part of this. She suspects, I know she does. But I won’t risk her life… Camelot will need her as a queen after… Well, after it all.  And she will ensure Gwen’s safety even if I can’t. I promise, your sister will be safe.”

Elyan seemed to sag and it only took a few moments before he was pulling himself together and standing up. He took a step towards the door before pausing, holding out his hand to Arthur. Smiling, the prince climbed to his feet and shook it.

“I’ll send word when things are happening,” Arthur swore, moving towards the door so that he could unlock it and let the young blacksmith out. Elyan nodded and slipped through the door. Arthur left it ajar as he returned to his table. It wouldn’t be long before Merlin returned and Arthur wanted to be able to hear his lover arriving.

He was so focused on his work – for once – that Arthur didn’t notice the time slipping by until the fire suddenly let out a hiss and died. Startled by the sudden lack of light and warmth, it took Arthur a few seconds to ground himself back in reality. Standing, he prodded a few of the embers, threw some more wood in and lit a splint. After the fire was lit, he proceeded to light the rest of the candles in his room. It was only when the whole place was bathed in a golden light did he let himself think about what he was doing.

It had been a long time since he had lit his own candles.

Merlin wasn’t back yet.

Arthur told himself not to worry, that the man had probably just got caught up chatting with the maids in the kitchen. Now that he was a more confident, Arthur knew that Merlin had found friends down there. Instead of thinking about Merlin, Arthur pulled the next few sheets of parchment towards him and reassured himself that all was fine.

He didn’t read a word.

It only took him half an hour before he gave up the pretence of trying to work. Merlin should be back by now, he should have been back hours ago. Arthur knew it wasn’t like him to be gone that long, not when he knew how Arthur would worry about it. Leaving his table, Arthur peered out into the corridor beyond.

“Sire?” Lancelot glanced at him as if he was mad. There was a teasing smile on his face but when Arthur looked at him, it faded.

“Have you seen Merlin?”

“Not since he left.”

“There’s been no word from him?”

“I wouldn’t have kept it from you, My Lord.” Lancelot paused and looked again at Arthur. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s not back. He should have been hours ago.” Arthur stepped out of his room as he spoke, fully intending to start searching the castle for his missing servant. Lancelot, however, stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

“I’ll go.”

“But…”

“How will you explain to your father why you are wandering around the castle looking for your slave?” Lancelot’s words were blunt, but they made their point. Arthur knew what he meant. The cuffs around Merlin’s wrists would mean Arthur only needed to think about him being back and it would happen. But Arthur had only ever imposed his will on the man like that during Merlin’s first few days as his slave, and even then it was only to stop the man from killing him. Arthur was not going to do that now, not when there was no doubt an easier explanation.

He looked up at Lancelot, feeling lost. It must have showed on his face though, for the knight reached out and squeezed his shoulder gently.

“I’ll bring him back before you know it,” he swore. Without another word, he turned and walked away. Arthur stayed in the corridor, one hand resting on his door as he watched him go. He knew another guard would be arriving soon, one that reported to his father. No matter how much he pressed the matter, his nights were guarded by those loyal to the king, no doubt to keep an eye on him.

Arthur smirked as he moved back into his room. At least he gave them something to listen to now, for his nights with Merlin could get rather vocal. He knew Lancelot wouldn’t let him down and that he was just over-reacting.

Merlin would be fine and would be back in his arms and bed before he needed to poke the fire again.

But somehow, even the reassurance wasn’t enough to squash the uneasy feeling rising in his stomach. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Arthur couldn’t stop the awareness of danger rising. It was in his instincts.

He just didn’t know what it meant.


	21. Chapter 21

Arthur found that he couldn’t walk the corridors without checking down every side-passage and behind every tapestry. He had a destination to get to and he knew Morgana wouldn’t be happy with him if he was late, not considering how cryptic her summoning had been. Arthur also knew that he had checked this part of the castle a hundred times already and Leon and Lancelot were routinely going back over places they had already looked in case Merlin suddenly popped up. It had been just over a week now and Arthur hadn’t even heard a whisper of where the man could be. Nearly everyone was suggesting that he had run away, but Arthur didn’t believe it. He refused to. He didn’t see the collar around Merlin’s neck anymore, he saw the love in his eyes. Merlin wouldn’t have left him like that, not when they were closer than ever to getting the collars off.

Still, that didn’t stop his heart leaping every time he saw someone with the same build, or the same hair colour. Arthur was sure something had happened to him, clinging to the belief that Merlin wouldn’t just leave him. But if he had been missing a week, Arthur was beginning to lose hope that he was ever going to find him. He knew the castle like the back of his hand, far better than Merlin did. But it didn’t matter where he looked, Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

The same was true of this journey. In fact, Arthur didn’t see anyone at all and he knew the fact that dawn was only just breaking was something to do with it. Why on earth Morgana wanted to talk to him at this time, Arthur had no idea. But there had been something urgent in her message and Arthur was too on edge to sleep anyway. He had passed one group of guards patrolling the corridors but they hadn’t asked him where he was going at this time and Arthur had just stared at them until they let him pass. Sometimes there were advantages of being a prince.

Knocking softly on Morgana’s door, Arthur lent closer to the wood.

“’Gana? It’s me.” Why anyone else would be calling at this time of day, Arthur had no idea. But he had no desire for Morgana to simply throw something at him for barging in unannounced. It had happened before and he knew her aim was true enough that she wouldn’t miss. In a way, he was glad. It meant that he didn’t have to worry about her safety the way he once believed he had to. But when the door opened and Arthur slipped in, he found himself freezing in surprise.

“Freya?”

“My Lord.” The girl curtseyed, looking at the floor even as she backed away from him. Arthur glanced around the room. Morgana was sitting on the edge of her bed, but had clearly been up for some time considering she was dressed immaculately as usual.

“Where’s Gwen?”

“In bed asleep if she has any sense,” Morgana said, motioning for him to shut the door and move further in. He did, standing awkwardly in the room. His eyes kept glancing towards Freya.

“Honestly, Arthur,” Morgana sighed, clearly seeing where he was looking. “She had nowhere else to go. Do you think I was going to let the king hand her off to the first noble he owed a favour to after Valiant had died?”

Arthur hadn’t thought about what would happen to Freya. He hadn’t had time. First the fight, then Merlin going missing. There had only been one person on his mind over the last week and it wasn’t the girl. Still, he stopped the thoughts from showing in his face and just smiled awkwardly. He knew he was looking as drained as he was feeling when Morgana stood up. She took his hand and led him back to the bed, sitting him down on the end and running her fingers through his hair.

“Still no sign of him?” She asked softly, her voice sympathetic. Arthur shook his head, not trusting his own voice not to give away just how much it was hurting him that Merlin was gone. Morgana let out a soft sigh, taking his hand.

“You don’t think… Arthur, you know there is every possibility that he might have-,”

“He hasn’t run!” Arthur exclaimed, louder than was sensible given the hour and his location. He stood up, wrenching free of her grip and preparing to walk out. He couldn’t listen to another person saying it.

“He hasn’t.” The voice was unexpected and Arthur glanced at Freya, startled. She met his eye, then blushed. “He loves you.”

“He told you that?”

“He didn’t need too. I could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He wouldn’t have left you voluntarily.”

“Then where is he?”

“Have you tried the cuffs?” Morgana said and Arthur wondered how many more things were going to succeed at shocking him before the sun came up.

“You hate the cuffs. You hit me for using them to stop him from killing me.”

“I know. But if they make him return to your side… Isn’t it worth a go? He will be driven even more to get to you, unable to resist the tug even if he wants to. Then at least you’ll know.”

Arthur stared at her. He hadn’t even thought of the cuffs. Maybe Merlin couldn’t return on his own. But if Arthur ordered him too, would it be enough to overcome any sort of restraint keeping him away? He opened his mouth to will the command right there and then, but then stopped.

“What did you need to talk to me about?” He knew he hadn’t come here to talk about Merlin. Morgana wouldn’t have requested his presence at this time. He would summon the man as soon as he was in the safety of his own chambers and no one else could be implicated. He didn’t expect Morgana’s face to go pale and her eyes shine in fright. She sucked in a sharp breath and Arthur wondered if she was about to start hyperventilating. Before he could do anything, Freya had moved forward. She knelt next to Morgana, taking her hand.

“It’s alright. You know you can trust him. You wanted to do this.” It took her a few moments of coaxing before Morgana calmed down. Arthur saw the second she had regained control of her emotions, for a mask slid back into place and she calmed.

“Are the rumours true?”

“What rumours?”

“That you are planning to free all of the slaves?”

Arthur knew he had paled this time. If there were indeed rumours going around about that, then Merlin’s disappearance suddenly seemed even more dangerous than it had up until now.

“I don’t know…”

“Fine, it’s not rumours,” Morgana smiled. “But do you really think you can keep meeting with Elyan and that Gwen wouldn’t start to wonder why?”

“Has she told…”

“Damnit, Arthur, you know Gwen. The only person she has told is me. No one knows. There are no rumours. Now will you breathe before you pass out?”

Arthur forced himself to start breathing normally again and then realised that Morgana was taking a few shaky breaths as well. Whatever she was planning to tell him, she hadn’t intended for it to start out like that.

“Is it true?” she repeated and Arthur stared at her.

“Why does it matter to you?”

“Because I want to know I have a chance at freedom if anyone finds out,” she whispered, and wasn’t quick enough to stop a tear from sliding down her face.

“Morgana, what are you talking about?”

“Look at that candle, would you?” She motioned to one on the other side of the room and Arthur obediently turned. He had no idea what she was implying, but years of experience had shown him that it was easier to humour Morgana than make her angry. Whatever this was, it must be important for it to be affecting her this badly.

Arthur suddenly blinked.

He had been looking at the candle without really seeing it, his mind too busy to pay attention. But he knew it hadn’t been lit. And now it was.

“Morgana?” Slowly turned back around, Arthur was just in time to see the gold fade from her eyes and for the king’s ward to dissolve into tears. Freya moved to sit on the bed, holding Morgana in her arms. It made more sense now, why Morgana had wanted her here. She had wanted someone to tell her what was happening.

“How long?” Arthur asked softly, moving back across the room and crouching in front of her.

“Only the last few weeks. Gwen’s managed to hide the evidence – burnt clothes, broken mirrors that sort of thing. But he’ll collar me, won’t he? Just like everyone else. I’ll be a slave as soon as he finds out.”

Arthur didn’t need to ask who the `he` was.

“He’s not going to find out, I promise,” he swore, taking her hand. Morgana looked down at him, tears spilling down her face. Arthur wasn’t sure if he had ever seen her cry before. “You should leave Camelot.”

“He’ll know…”

“No, he won’t. We’ll send word… Leon’s family still own a grand estate to the north. They could ask for you to stay for a few weeks. You know Uther always wants to please the nobles, he’s fostered me off to enough of them over the years. We’ll pretend you are feeling weak and the country air will do you some good.”

“I can’t hide forever.”

“You won’t need too. As soon as Merlin is up to strength, we can do it. His magic is strong enough to use past the collars, he’s done it before. Once he is free, we can free the rest.”

“You just have to find him first,” Morgana said gently and Arthur grimaced, realising that was a big flaw right now. Without Merlin, he couldn’t guarantee Morgana’s safety for he knew the king would not listen to him.

“Can you help her?” He asked Freya, only now realising that he wasn’t seeing her as a slave any more than Merlin. He knew she wouldn’t be able to use magic to aid Morgana, her collar saw to that. But there were more than one ways to help someone and Freya smiled, nodding.

“I know a little bit about it in theory. If we can understand it more, she might be able to control it.”

“And tell Gaius.”

“What? Arthur, no!”

“He won’t betray you,” Arthur soothed, letting go of her hand and beginning to pace the room. “I think he is on our side. The way he’s always treated those collared, the look he gave me when he thought I might have taken Merlin… He knows things, ‘Gana. He’ll be able to help you.”

Morgana nodded, wiping her eyes and trying to pull herself together. Sunlight was beginning to trickle through her window and Arthur knew he had to get back to his own room. However twisted his father was, he wouldn’t accept his son being in his ward’s room before dawn, however innocent their meeting. But Arthur rested his palm against Morgana’s cheek.

“You’ll be safe, I promise. Leave the city. I’ll find Merlin and we’ll change things around here. I’ll send word when it is safe.”

“Promise me that you’ll stay safe?” Morgana covered his hand with her own and Arthur realised this was the most affectionate they had been with each other for years. He smiled.

“You know me. I can take care of myself.” He let a hint of his old boast into his voice and Morgana rolled her eyes, shooing him from the room. Arthur left, but found that he stopped barely a corridor away, leaning his head back on the stone and sighing.

He now had two people he deeply cared about to protect from his own father. Somehow, the situation was getting out of hand and he knew he couldn’t just look for Merlin anymore. He had to find him.

MMM

Merlin bit his lip, trying to swallow the whimper threatening to escape his throat. Tears clung to his lashes but he couldn’t reach to move them away. He was sitting on the floor, his wrists shackled to the wall. The manacles were sunk into the wall at about the level of his head, leaving him trapped on the floor. He couldn’t even rise to a crouch, for it forced his arms at angles they didn’t like. Not to mention it would expose him. He hadn’t even seen a shred of his clothing since he had awoken here and he believed the king when Uther said he had burnt the lot.

To his surprise, the man hadn’t yet forced himself on him. He had threatened it. He had had the guards beat him, starved him and let Nimueh give him only just enough water to keep him alive. But he hadn’t yet touched him. Merlin wasn’t fooled though. He knew Uther was breaking him down and would wait until Merlin was under his command before he took him. He was `training` him just the way he had promised, and Merlin was terrified it was working. After all, it had only been the day before when Uther had uncuffed him, attached a length of chain to his collar and told him to clean before securing the end against the wall. And Merlin had done as he was told, forcing his shaking legs to work rather than thinking of a way to escape. There had been a smirk on Uther’s face when he had forced him back to the floor that evening and a look in his eye that had Merlin thinking that he wasn’t getting out of this.

But just as he figured things couldn’t get worse, he had been pulled from a light slumber by the strangest feeling. It was as if his body was jerking against the manacles. Merlin knew there was no breaking free, he had tried hard enough when he first realised his position. But this was different. It didn’t feel like he was the one doing it, yet his body seemed determined to make it into an upright position. It hurt; he was fighting against the shackles and himself. But as the enchanted cuffs still around his wrists began to feel warm, Merlin realised what was happening.

Arthur was calling him. A smile split over his face for a second, the gesture causing his lip to split. But Merlin didn’t care. It meant that the prince – despite Uther’s goading otherwise – hadn’t given up on him and believed Merlin was still close enough for the cuffs to work. Merlin didn’t know how strong they were. Would Arthur’s will be enough for the magic of the cuffs to open the manacles holding him prisoner?

Merlin had managed to conceal what was happening while the king had dressed and left. Somehow, he had even managed to disguise it when the guards had laid into him the way they had been ordered too every morning. But now he was alone again, his heart was beginning to sink. Surely by now if it was going to work, he would already be on his way to Arthur? Instead, he had scratched his back against the stonework and could feel the way the shackles were digging into him as he strained against them. Trying to force his body to relax, Merlin hung his head and focused on just breathing.

It might have worked to relax him had the king not chosen that moment to return. Merlin didn’t know where he had been, but he knew it hadn’t involved Arthur. After all, the prince hadn’t given up trying to call him all morning. While Arthur might not have given up on saving him, his father hadn’t given up on breaking him either, and before Merlin knew what was happening, the shackles had been released.

He didn’t stop to think. Unlike when Arthur had used the cuffs on him a few times before, he didn’t try and fight the sensation. As soon as Uther stepped back, Merlin shot to his feet, ignored the cramp shooting up his leg and bolted for the door. The pain seemed to fade now he had every intention of following his master’s orders and he even made it out of the enclosed inner-chamber before Uther caught up with him.

Merlin kicked and struggled wildly, yelling for all he was worth. But the king simply wrapped his arms around him and bodily lifted him from the ground, dragging him back. Before he knew what was happening, Merlin found himself on the floor with Uther’s foot pressed over his throat and his chest stinging from the whip the man had just brought slashing down over him. The beating continued, forcing Merlin to throw an arm over his face to protect himself, but he didn’t stop trying to get away.

Eventually, Uther seemed to realise it wasn’t working and he slammed the warlock back against the wall, quickly locking him back in. As he did so, his hand brushed against the enchanted cuffs and the king sucked in a sharp breath. Merlin stared up at him, every part of his body hurting.

“So that’s why you are fighting,” Uther murmured, more to himself than his prisoner. Merlin was mute as the king checked he had him secured before straightening up. He didn’t know what to say. He had no idea if Arthur summoning him would please the king or not and the last thing he wanted was for the prince to be hurt because Merlin had said the wrong thing.

“Nimueh!”

Merlin swallowed as the sorceress appeared. Not that she had left the room, but she ignored Merlin when the king wasn’t around. Merlin couldn’t blame her – punishment for disobeying Uther was not pleasant. But although she gave him water, there was something about her that Merlin didn’t trust. He felt wrong for thinking it; she was as trapped as him. Unable to put his finger on what it was, he decided it was just because she didn’t fight Uther any longer.

Part of that reason was dread that he would one day be the same.

“My Lord?”

“It seems my son is missing his toy.” Merlin stared at him, knowing this wasn’t going to end well. “Go to him.”

“No,” Merlin hissed. The cuffs had stopped feeling warm now and he hated the idea that Arthur would believe him to be out of range. He couldn’t let Arthur give up on him because if that happened, he wasn’t sure he could keep fighting. “Leave him alone!”

“And have you thinking it is acceptable to fight back. I don’t think so. Go to the prince, Nimueh. Make sure you give him everything he needs.”

“He won’t touch her,” Merlin said quietly, his voice dripping in hatred. His hands had clenched into fists and he could feel the faint traces of magic beginning to rise again. He wasn’t surprised; this was to do with protecting Arthur, after all.

Uther glared down at him but Merlin refused to back down. Eventually, the king shrugged, looking as if he was agreeing with Merlin. He crossed the room and opened a cabinet, pulling out a small vial and pressing it into Nimueh’s hand.

“Give him this.”

“What is it?” Merlin demanded. Nimueh’s face had closed down when the bottle had appeared and Merlin felt his heart pounding. Uther smirked at him.

“This? This will remind Arthur that any slave can satisfy him. We’ll see how long he remembers his supposed love for you when he is pounding into her. Go.” He shot Nimueh a dark look and she bobbed a quick curtsey, hurrying from the room. Merlin watched her go, not understanding the look she had just given him. It was almost calculating, as if she was up to something. But he couldn’t think of that now.

“He’ll never forgive you for this.”

“For waking him up from being a foolish boy?” Uther sneered, staring down at Merlin. Once again, Merlin refused to look away and Uther drew back his foot, kicking him hard in the stomach before leaving the room. Doubled over and coughing, it took Merlin a few moments to realise that he was alone and he winced as he straightened up again. Unable to stop himself, he stared longingly at the door. He had to find a way out of the manacles, to get to Arthur in time to stop Nimueh from drugging him. While he hadn’t properly understood her expression, Merlin knew one thing for sure. Whatever this drug was, it was effective. If she succeeded in giving it to Arthur… Merlin felt sick at the thought. But more than that, he felt a spark of jealousy. He was Arthur’s. He was the one to share the prince’s bed and he didn’t want anyone else touching the man he had come to love.

Tugging against the manacles again, Merlin sucked in a sharp breath when he realised it wasn’t just jealousy sparking within him. His magic had continued to rise and now that he was alone, Merlin knew he had to try. It might weaken him, but Uther didn’t have control of the enchanted cuffs. As long as he stayed alert enough to crawl somewhere to hide, the king would have no way of finding him. The more he thought about it, the more Merlin was convinced this was his chance. He forgot about the fact that he was starving, in pain and his muscles were cramped. Instead, he just focused purely on the spark of magic he could feel beginning to brew in him.

Concentrating on the manacles, Merlin breathed deeply as he released his power. He knew it was barely a trickle of what he had been capable of before and it was weak even in comparison to what he had used to stop the bandits. But the manacles seemed to give an odd tremble and Merlin knew some power was getting through. Uther hadn’t expected this, the shackles weren’t reinforced against his magic.

Spots were dancing in his vision and Merlin wasn’t sure he had ever felt so light-headed, even on the day the collar had first been locked around his neck. But with a soft snap, one hand suddenly fell free. Panting, Merlin cut himself off from the magic and prised open the second manacle. Standing again was a challenge and he had to put his hand against the wall in order to stop himself from passing out. But he knew he had done it. Now all he needed to do was hide.

Stumbling towards the main part of the chamber, Merlin couldn’t help glancing around. He couldn’t leave just like this, the guards would notice immediately considering he wasn’t wearing anything. He couldn’t see anything though and eventually just grabbed a cloak the king had left out, shuddering as it swamped him. But it would have to do and Merlin continued towards the door, hoping Uther didn’t have it heavily guarded while he wasn’t present.

Only Merlin never got the chance to find out.

For no sooner had he taken a step towards the door when he heard the king’s voice, cursing something he had forgotten. Merlin stumbled backwards, but tripped on the end of the cloak and was sent tumbling to the ground even as the door opened and Uther appeared. The fury that crossed the king’s face meant Merlin knew there was no saving Arthur now.

All he could do to try and defend himself was scramble back, getting more and more entangled in the cloak as Uther strode towards him. He had barely made it a few paces before the king had reached him, bending down and closing his fist around his throat.

“That’s the last chance you get to escape,” he snarled, his grip constricting.

 


	22. Chapter 22

Arthur whipped around when he heard the soft knock at his door. Merlin had never knocked, he simply barged in. But still, the prince couldn’t deny his heart skipped a beat when he bid whoever it was to enter. He wasn’t expecting any visitors and the thought someone might have news about Merlin…

But then he could only stare when he saw Nimueh standing there. She shut the door behind her and dropped into a deep curtsey. Arthur had seen her do that more often than not. Often as his father carefully watched whichever noble he had summoned, waiting to see if their eyes lingered on her cleavage while she was bent over. Folding his arms across his chest, Arthur lifted an eyebrow.

“What?” He didn’t care about sounding rude. Nimueh had always scared him, although he wasn’t sure why. He should be wanting to help the woman, knowing she was one of the longest collared slaves. She suffered abuse daily at the hands of the king and yet there was something about the way she looked at Arthur that made him want to crawl away and hide as if he was nothing but a small boy.

“The king heard you had misplaced your toy,” she murmured, risking a glance to meet his eyes before looking away again. “He thought you would appreciate the company.”

“He was wrong. Leave me.”

“Please, Sire, let me… I can’t go back without…Let me stay.” Arthur didn’t know if the fear in her voice was real or not, but she had straightened up from the curtsey and was watching him beseechingly, eyes wide and pleading. Arthur sighed. She didn’t need to finish what she was trying to say. If Uther found out she hadn’t done as ordered, she would be made to suffer the consequences.

“You can stay,” he said, trying to make himself sound more compassionate. “But you’ll have to come up with a lie to please my father about what has happened here.”

He gestured to the table, offering her a seat before turning his back. He would have looked through the reports as a way of distracting himself, but found that he didn’t want to sit that close to her. Instead, Arthur picked up his sword, sat on the edge of his bed and began polishing it. After a few moments, Nimueh moved until she was perching tentatively on the edge of a chair.

“May I?” She whispered quietly, gesturing to the jug of wine on the table. Arthur nodded. Just because he didn’t like the woman didn’t mean he couldn’t be courteous. He wasn’t his father, he wouldn’t deny her something just because he had the power to do so.

Letting his mind be distracted by the task at hand, Arthur ignored Nimueh. How his father had found out Merlin was missing, Arthur didn’t know. But he couldn’t help but feel something was off. Uther wouldn’t have sent his own whore to distract Arthur upon finding out his slave had vanished. He would be here in person, berating him for not making Merlin obedient and meek, too frightened to dare venture out of Arthur’s rooms. Arthur scowled as he ran the cloth over his sword. He knew Merlin hadn’t run, but trying to explain to his father he believed someone had his slave hostage would not be an easy conversation.

“Here.” Nimueh made him jump, but Arthur hoped he managed to cover it up. He looked up to find she was in front of him and scolded himself mentally for not paying more attention as he hadn’t heard her move. But there was a goblet in her hand and she was offering it to him with a timid smile. Arthur took it and took a long gulp.

“How did my father know?” He asked. He hoped he didn’t sound too inquisitive, but he couldn’t ignore this feeling of something being wrong. Nimueh might be prepared to share a few answers with him if he handled this right.

“I don’t know, Sire.”

“You have no idea at all?” Nimueh’s gaze dropped and Arthur sighed irritably, taking another gulp of the wine. As he put the cup down, he found his tongue running over the roof of his mouth. There was a strange after-taste, something he wasn’t used to. Swallowing, Arthur glanced between the goblet and Nimueh, but she was keeping her gaze steadily on the floor. Deciding he was being paranoid, Arthur went back to his task.

A few moments later, he knew he wasn’t paranoid.

His shirt was sticking to his skin from where he was sweating, his hand slipping on the sword. He felt uncomfortably warm and restless. But more than that, he was having to resist pressing his hand to a throbbing erection. He stared at Nimueh and this time, she met his gaze steadily. She pulled a small but empty bottle out from the top of her dress and set it on the table.

“I’m sorry. He didn’t give me a choice.”

“I wouldn’t have told him,” Arthur muttered, even his voice being effected by the strength of the potion. He didn’t understand. He had given Nimueh a chance at a few hours peace and she had made that wouldn’t be the case.

“I know.” She was in front of him now, pulling the sword out of his unresisting hand and placing it safely out of the way. Then she knelt and began unlacing his breeches with clever fingers. Arthur tried to push her hands away, but she simply caught one of his and began sucking his fingers. To his dismay, Arthur groaned out loud at the sensation. It was only enhanced as she freed him from the confines of his clothes. Without wasting any time, she had swallowed him down and Arthur was lost to a haze of pleasure, his hand instantly resting on her head.

“I don’t want this,” he muttered, panting as he tried to resist thrusting. It felt _so_ good and when she simply looked at him coyly, he lost it, spilling down her throat. But the tonic was powerful and within seconds, Arthur was hardening again. Nimueh was efficient. She moved far too fast for his clouded mind to keep up with what was happening. He felt like he had blinked, but Arthur suddenly found himself on his back on his bed, his shirt rucked up and his breeches missing entirely with Nimueh straddling him. Her dress too had disappeared and she took his hands, placing them on her.

Arthur mutely shook his head, but his eyes rolled in his head as she sank onto him and his hands found her hips as he started thrusting into her.

After that, everything was a blur.

The tonic was strong and every time his mind cleared about what he was doing, Nimueh’s hands on him blurred his senses again. By the time he finally started to calm, Arthur was exhausted. They were somehow back on his bed, but he knew he had taken her over the table, against the wall, even on the floor before they had ended up back here. Her hand was stroking his dick with just enough pressure to have him twitching, but he knew the potion had just about run its course. She didn’t have the chance to move before he came over her hand and lay back, arm thrown across his face as he gasped for breath.

Feeling slightly more in control, Arthur quickly moved from the bed and almost fell as his legs cramped and trembled. Stumbling, he moved across the room and grabbed a cloth, cleaning himself up before dressing. Once he was covered, he felt more like a prince and straightened again.

“I told you no,” he said, anger in his voice. Nimueh just draped himself over her bed, watching him with a soft smile.

“And how do you think your father would have reacted to that?”

“He wouldn’t have known. We would have told him what he wanted to hear and that would have been that. You did this.”

“Maybe.” Nimueh swung herself across the bed, her hair covering her breasts as she sauntered towards him. She moved too close and Arthur didn’t step back in time before she squeezed his crotch. He shoved her away, bending down to get her dress and flung it at her.

“Get out.”

“Your father…”

“I don’t care about my father. Get out of my room, now.”

She dressed, but her hands lingered and she didn’t look away from him. Despite the collar around her neck marking her as a slave, she was acting as a queen. Arthur didn’t understand. She could have taken this time as a respite and know there would be no fear of repercussions. Instead, she had drugged him and Arthur didn’t even want to know how many times he had just fucked her.

She moved towards the door, but stopped when she was next to him, watching him closely.

“Your father is not the only one with an agenda.”

Before Arthur could ask what she meant, she was gone. He would be damned if he was going after her to demand answers. Instead, he just stared around at the wreck of his room and yelled out loud. Shoving over his chair in anger, Arthur leant his hands against the wall, staring into the cold fireplace as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. The sex hadn’t been nearly as intense as it had been with Merlin and Arthur knew full well no emotions had been involved. But she hadn’t let up, guiding him when his legs had faltered. His father might have ordered her here, but Nimueh had wanted Arthur to do it as much as the king had.

Shuddering at what that could mean, Arthur opened his door and collared the first servant he saw, demanding a bath. He paced like a caged animal while the servants scurried around, locking his door when they were done and stripping off. The water was hot and a blessing to his tired muscles and for a moment, Arthur sunk under the water to try and cleanse himself.

With water running down his face, the prince was reminded of Merlin’s early days and when the man had succeeded in drowning him. Although Merlin seemed to have accepted his place here, he hadn’t accepted being a slave. Arthur knew it was only their feelings from each other that stopped Merlin from escaping. He couldn’t leave any more than Arthur could let him go.

So where the hell was he?

As he washed, Arthur’s mind turned over every possibility, searching for some clue that he had missed. He had informed his trusted knights but no one had even heard a hint of his whereabouts. He would have been seen had he left the castle and few places in the castle were secure enough to keep someone a prisoner.

Arthur suddenly went cold, his hands gripping the edge of the bath.

His father’s rooms were one of those few places. The man had known Merlin was missing and rather than yelling at Arthur, he had sent him his own slave. To distract him, to keep him satisfied. Slowly standing up, Arthur reached for a towel even as his eyes locked on his sword.

His father was also one of the few people who had openly lusted over Merlin and didn’t have to fear Arthur’s reaction should he take what he wanted.

Unable to believe he had been so stupid as to not think of it before, Arthur dressed and slipped his chainmail on. Then he buckled on his sword and took a moment to try and control his anger. If he was wrong about this, he was going to be in so much trouble.

But if he was right, confronting his father was the only way he was ever going to find Merlin. Not to mention if he was right, he couldn’t waste another minute. Who knew what the king would do to a defiant slave who had stolen the prince’s heart?

MMM

Every time he tried to breathe in, Merlin found himself coughing. Eventually, it was enough for his eyes to open and for him to accept he had regained consciousness properly this time. He had been dipping in and out of the darkness for a while now but knew he couldn’t escape reality any longer. His neck was sticky with blood and Merlin knew he was lucky to be alive. Uther’s grip hadn’t lessened as he had passed out and Merlin had no idea what had stopped the king from killing him. But the man had clearly moved him by just his collar for the metal had cut into his neck. There wasn’t anything Merlin could do about the blood though, for his hands were chained behind his back.

The first thing he saw when his eyes opened was the chain attached to his collar. Merlin had a second to realise what it could mean before Uther realised he was awake and used it to drag him into a kneeling position. He wasn’t tied to the wall this time and Merlin knew that wasn’t going to mean anything good for him. Now he was upright, he was directly in front of the king who was sitting on the edge of his bed, a predatory gleam in his eye.

“I’ve been too soft on you, boy,” Uther said, his voice deadly quiet. The chain was wrapped around one hand but the other came to rest on top of Merlin’s head and he dug his fingers in, twisting harshly and causing tears to spring to Merlin’s eyes. He didn’t let a sound escape him though, determined not to give Uther the pleasure.

“Starving and beating isn’t working. You’re refusing to break, so I’m just going to fuck you.” There was no emotion in Uther’s voice, sounding as if he was examining corn rather than deciding the fate of a person. Merlin tried to lurch back but the hand in his hair stopped him. This time, a soft gasp escaped him and Uther moved fast. His hand left Merlin’s head, two gloved fingers entering his mouth and pressing down, hard. Try as he might, Merlin couldn’t close his mouth again and he choked as Uther pulled his laces free even while still holding the chain before pulling Merlin forward.

“If I so much as feel even a hint of teeth, I’ll send Nimueh back to Arthur. She’s resting after he fucked her so many times she can’t walk. Give up on him, slave, he doesn’t care about you.” Merlin scowled, unable to say anything but hoping his glare said enough. He knew it wasn’t true, Arthur loved him. Uther seemed to read his thoughts and he glared, not giving the warlock time to even take a breath before he slammed his cock in, gagging Merlin.

He tried to breathe, tried to swallow the nausea and more than anything he tried to resist the urge to bite down as hard as he could. He didn’t believe Uther about Arthur’s feelings, but he did believe him about taking it out on Arthur if Merlin misbehaved. He shut his eyes, trying to imagine he was anywhere but here. When that didn’t work – Uther’s pace too hard and forceful – he tried to imagine it was Arthur instead. But Arthur had always cradled his face gently when Merlin had sucked him off, only thrusting when he totally lost control.

There was no pretending.

Uther’s hand was at the back of his head, forcing him to meet every thrust and giving him no room to catch his breath. Despite the man clearly having wanted this for a long time, his control was good and Merlin knew he was making it last as long as possible. His hands were twisting harshly in the chains and he could feel tears running down his face as his body vehemently protested what was happening.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Merlin could breathe again, spluttering and gasping as Uther pulled out. Unable to support himself, Merlin simply toppled backwards, curling up in a tight ball and trying not to hyperventilate. If Arthur hadn’t found him before now, what chance was there he was going to be able to save him from this nightmare now.

When Uther reached down and grabbed his arm, hauling him up, Merlin yelled and struggled with everything he had. The king struck him repeatedly as he gradually moved Merlin towards the bed. Realising that it was far from over, Merlin fought with everything he had. For a man who had been starved, beaten and had his hands chained behind his back, Merlin was impressed with how much of a fight he was putting up.

Uther called the guards in the end. Merlin stood no chance against five men and there was ultimately nothing he could do as they forced him onto the bed, lying him on his stomach as they chained his feet to opposite posts, unbound his hands and did the same thing. As the men left, Merlin wrenched against the chains.

“No!” he screamed, shaking the whole bed as he fought to get lose. He felt Uther moving closer and screamed again, yelling his refusal at letting this happen. Uther just pressed down on his head, forcing him into the pillows. Merlin kicked as best as he could, but the need to breathe became too important and he went limp. Uther let go.

“You will accept this like the whore you are.”

“Go to hell.” Now it had come to this, come to his worst nightmare, Merlin felt self-preservation disappear. Arthur wouldn’t be able to find him and Merlin would rather a quick death by sparking off Uther’s temper than letting the man rape him as he pleased. But his words were just met with a chuckle.

“So defiant,” Uther mocked, running his hand down the length of Merlin’s spine. Merlin shuddered at the touch but before he could do anything more, Uther had tightened the chains around his ankles. Clearly he remembered all too well the amount of power Merlin could get into one well-placed kick and he wasn’t prepared to risk it again. The man’s gloves suddenly landed on the floor and Merlin shook his head, biting his lip as he heard the king rustling his clothing.

“No,” he muttered, his voice being lost in a sob. For so long he had been convinced that he was free of the nightmare, that Arthur was going to help him be free properly and they would find a way to be together. Now he felt the same way he had when he had first been dragged into this room all those months ago; alone, terrified and with no chance of escape. He struggled to pull his magic to the surface, but he hadn’t had proper control since the day the collar had been fastened around his neck and the same was true now.

“Time to accept your place,” Uther said, his voice silky smooth as the bed creaked under another’s weight. Merlin thought he was about to hyperventilate when a pillow was shoved under his hips and Uther’s hands dug into his skin with a biting grip, kneading his arse cruelly. “I can see why Arthur enjoyed you.”

Merlin bit his lip. He knew reminding the king now that Arthur hadn’t _enjoyed_ him but fallen in love with him was only going to make matters worse. He clenched his hands into fists, focusing on the sharp pain of his nails digging into his palms as a way of distracting himself from what was about to happen. It was impossible though, for Uther’s hand had moved and one finger was probing around his entrance. Just as Merlin thought it was over, the sound of the outer door bursting open and a muffled scuffle with the guards made the king withdraw. Merlin twisted awkwardly, craning his neck around to see Uther dressing again and moving across his inner chamber.

“What is the meaning of this?” The king bellowed, wrenching open the door. He didn’t take another step and Merlin couldn’t see what was happening the other side. But he didn’t have long to wait to find out, for Uther was slowly backing up, a tip of a sword resting under his chin. And holding the other end of that sword was…

“Arthur,” Merlin found himself breathing, his whole body going limp in the knowledge that he was safe, that Arthur had come for him. The prince’s eyes flickered to the bed and although there was rage etched into every line of Arthur’s face, there was relief in his eyes at seeing Merlin. The warlock held the gaze, using it as a life-line, a reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

“I should have known,” Arthur said, his voice trembling in fury. “You send me your slave to distract me while you kidnap and rape mine.”

“What is the meaning of this, Arthur? It was a fair trade, nothing more. The boy is nothing more than a slave, it’s unprincely for you to care in such a manner.”

“To care that he is a human? That he doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. None of them do!”

Merlin closed his eyes, resting his head against the pillow as he tugged against his restraints. But he couldn’t keep them closed. He had to see what was happening, he owed it to Arthur to not look away. Arthur was giving too much away, he could see it in the way Uther’s shoulders went rigid.

“This isn’t just about the boy, is it?” The king’s voice was deadly quiet and he stepped forward, despite the fact it was making Arthur’s sword prick his skin. “You’ve been plotting against me from the start.”

Too late did Arthur realise what he had said. Merlin knew the fear of what was going to happen – not to him but to Arthur – was showing in his face but he couldn’t disguise it even as Arthur looked to him. As Uther made to move again, Merlin knew he had to do something.

“He hasn’t.” He was surprised at how strong his voice came out despite his position and his pounding heart. “You heard yourself what he said to me. It’s all about me.”

He hated drawing the attention back on himself and knew the king would most likely kill him for being the reason Arthur was now committing a treasonous act. But it was better for Uther to think that love was making Arthur like this than to realise his son was planning to free all the slaves and had been since before Merlin had even arrived in the kingdom. Arthur glanced at him helplessly, not knowing his father knew about their love. But his distraction was all Uther needed.

“Guards!” They arrived in seconds and Merlin knew it was because it was the prince who had barged in that had made them pause. They didn’t hesitate now, disarming Arthur and holding him fast. Unlike Merlin’s actions, Arthur remained perfectly still.

“Escort my son to the cells and have the commoners in the square in an hour. Maybe a public flogging will remind them that no one is above the law, not even the Crown Prince. Take him away.”

“Arthur!” The scream escaped him before he could stop it and Merlin could only stare helplessly as Arthur was pulled away. The prince twisted and Merlin could see the fear in his eyes. He knew it wasn’t fear for himself though. First the dungeons, then a flogging. Uther was making sure that Arthur wasn’t in any state to interrupt again. As soon as the door shut again, Uther picked up his gloves, snapping them across Merlin’s face so hard it split his lip.

“I’ll deal with you afterwards,” he snarled. “And you’ll wish you kept your mouth shut.”

As he stormed from the room, the door shutting and locking behind him, Merlin yelled as he pulled against the chains. He had to find a way out of here.


	23. Chapter 23

Merlin collapsed back against the bed, utterly exhausted. His wrists were bleeding freely and he knew his ankles were being rubbed raw. He couldn’t do anything about it though. He was not going to stop fighting to get out of here. There would be no rescue; he knew that now. He knew Uther would draw the line at killing his only heir, but Merlin knew he would take the flogging just far enough that Arthur would be confined to his chambers for weeks because of the damage. Perhaps when that was over, Uther would let him go to make peace with his son. But Merlin wasn’t going to stay around to find out, not when it would mean weeks of being at Uther’s mercy.

He could still feel the man’s hands on him and Merlin shuddered even as he prepared himself for another assault on the chains. He knew he was running out of time though; the hour was almost up and he could just about make out the sounds of a crowd gathering. He wondered if they knew what they were about to witness or whether they had just stopped caring – they did as they were told for it allowed them to go back to their lives without any trouble. Would that change when they saw it was their own prince at the flogging post?

Letting out a yell, Merlin thrashed with everything he had. The bed creaked under his movement, but when he stopped to catch his breath again, the only thing he had succeeded in doing was making his wrists bleed more. Shutting his eyes, Merlin tried to hold back tears of despair. He had no way of brushing them away and did not want Uther to see. Even thinking of the king caused a sob to escape him before he could clench his jaw. He had survived this long, he was not going to break now. Arthur loved him and would do everything he could to free him. He had been trying to keep him safe from the first day and this was the result?

The tears stopped. Self-pity wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Instead, Merlin let rage fill him up. It was the same anger he had felt when he had first arrived here, only it had increased ten-fold. He knew his fate now, and it was not to be raped by the king. His place was by Arthur’s side and Merlin had no intention of losing that now they had made it this far.

His thoughts felt right. Warmth flooded his body and drove the exhaustion back. It was as if something had clicked, his thoughts about Arthur just feeling _right_. There was no other way of describing it. Merlin knew if he had to put a word to his feelings right now, there would only be one he could choose. Destiny. It was his destiny to be by Arthur’s side and to help him. Uther Pendragon was not about to get in the way of that.

Merlin didn’t struggle this time. Instead, he went still, eyes closed and breathing shallow as he focused on the feeling growing within him. This was why he was here, perhaps even why he had come here in the first place. This was where he belonged, only not with a collar around his neck and not chained to the king’s bed. Something was different when he reached inside himself this time. Something was powerful. Merlin knew exactly what it was.

His magic. He could feel it. Whenever he had used it in the past, it hadn’t been a conscious decision. He had been determined with every fibre of his being to free Arthur and somehow that had been enough to overcome the collar. It had hurt; half the magic escaping and half being channelled back into him. But this time, it wasn’t just about Arthur, it was about himself and every other person with a collar around their necks. It was about Freya and his mother; it was about doing what was right.

Merlin knew what would happen before he did it. He wasn’t afraid. Instead, he grabbed hold of that magic and pulled as hard as he could. He was vaguely aware that he was screaming in pain as it backfired on him, but his mind was at peace. The pain was a distraction, nothing more. Heat was building around his collar and Merlin’s hands scrunched into tight fists as it continued to do so. He was panting, sweat beading his brow and his body shifting as it tried to escape the pain. But the heat continued to build and it gradually centred on one point. Just as Merlin didn’t think he could take it anymore, there was a soft click.

It was such a quiet noise he barely heard it. But he felt it as the lock caught on the collar and the metal split neatly in half, falling from his neck. His body flooded with warmth as his magic reared up. The mirror on Uther’s wall cracked in half but then the power settled. Merlin felt it coil around him, a warming blanket and an impenetrable shield as it settled back to where it was supposed to be. All it then took was for him to turn a flashing gaze on the chains around his wrists and they fell away. His ankles followed suit and Merlin scrambled off the bed as fast as he could.

Once he was up, Merlin stood for a moment as a wave of dizziness crashed over him. The room spun and it was only resting a hand on the bedpost that stopped him from falling. Slowly, he crouched down and ran his fingers over one half of the broken collar. It was nothing more than a piece of metal now but still Merlin shuddered. Knowing he still had to get out of here, the warlock looked around the room. He couldn’t find his clothes and knew he wouldn’t; Uther had never intended to dress him again. Feeling sick but having no choice, he pulled on one of the king’s shirts. It covered him and Merlin didn’t want to touch anything else. He did, however, rip a piece of a cloak and use it as a scarf, disguising the fact there was no collar around his neck. Then he picked up the broken pieces and moved towards the door. Uther didn’t need to know how he had escaped.

His suspicions about the guards was correct; they weren’t there. Merlin was sure they would have come at his screams otherwise. Uther had clearly wanted literally everyone there at Arthur’s whipping and Merlin wasn’t sure if it was to make his point or just humiliate his son the best he could. The torches lining the walls flared at his anger as his magic reacted and Merlin smiled even as he controlled himself. He wasn’t a slave anymore.

Running down the corridor, it took him a few turns before he could get his bearings. Generally speaking, Uther’s chambers were the one part of the castle he had always avoided and he wasn’t sure where he was. Eventually, he stumbled into a corridor he recognised by chance more than anything else and found his attention drawn by a small window. He had to stand on tiptoes to see out of it, but it overlooked the courtyard.

Merlin’s breath caught in his throat as he saw the guard raise the whip again. Arthur was a small figure from here but Merlin could see the blood streaking his back and how the manacles securing him to the pole were the only thing stopping him from falling. The people were ashen, many openly crying. Merlin knew they were on Arthur’s side. Knowing if he gave away his presence now, he could be caught before Arthur even knew he was free, Merlin forced himself to turn away from the sight, his stomach rolling.

Shaking his head as if that would somehow banish the image burnt into his mind, Merlin turned away. But his anger was rising again. Arthur was defenceless and hurt, and Merlin was just standing there watching it happen. What sort of destiny was that? Returning to the window, Merlin tried to focus his magic. It had always been wild though and having all of this time collared wasn’t helping. As the guard drew the whip back from Arthur’s back, Merlin prepared to strike out. But then he saw something that made him pause. The guard was trembling. He didn’t want to be doing this either. Merlin sighed. He couldn’t take it out on the guard, Arthur would never forgive him. He didn’t know what to do until he caught sight of the gargoyles perched along the edge of the castle walls. A flash of his eyes was all it took. The magic rolled from him in a powerful wave and the people screamed as one of the statues suddenly fell into the courtyard below and shattered. Merlin knew no one was hurt though, he had made sure it was far enough away.

It was enough though. He could see guards rushing at the area, clearing the people and trying to take control of the situation. Merlin watched for long enough to see two unshackling Arthur. The prince stood tall for a long moment, staring up at something out of Merlin’s sight. The warlock knew Arthur was looking at his father though. Then he turned and would have fallen if Leon and Lancelot hadn’t darted out of the crowd and caught him gently under the arms. Knowing Arthur was safe with friends, Merlin knew it was time for him to move before the corridors filled with people. He might not have a collar around his neck anymore, but his attire would make it apparent who he was.

Running swiftly, it didn’t take long for him to make it back to Arthur’s chambers. He didn’t dare lock the door behind him, knowing Arthur would need to be brought back quickly, but it meant he jumped every time he heard someone pass and his magic almost destroyed the room when unfamiliar footsteps stopped outside. Merlin knew it was going to take him some time to get used to his magic again. It had always been powerful and he could remember Nimueh’s words about him being the strongest she had felt. The fact he had broken free of the collar was enough to prove that. But now it was on edge, determined it wouldn’t be caged again and Merlin knew he was more dangerous than even he realised.

But being back in Arthur’s chambers, turning down the bed and lighting the fire calmed him. These were tasks he knew and Arthur’s room had always offered safety. He calmed, doing every job he could think of that would aid Arthur when he arrived. Merlin couldn’t help but notice that Arthur hadn’t even tidied while Merlin had been gone. No servant had been in here and it made the warlock smile. This was his job, no one else’s.

He had just poured out a goblet of water and placed it next to the bed when he heard footsteps stop again. There was a scuffling sound at the door before a surprised voice sounded.

“It’s unlocked.”

Merlin swore, remembering the lock click before his glowing eyes when he had arrived. But there was nothing more he could do as the door swung open and Leon and Lancelot appeared. Gaius was on their heels. They both stopped dead when they saw Merlin, their jaws literally dropping.

“How-?” Leon muttered but Gaius moved past them.

“There will be time for that later. Get him on the bed and hurry.” The old man had his bag swinging from his arm and Merlin could only watch mutely as they moved Arthur across the room. The fire caught his torn back and Merlin felt sick at the amount of blood he could see. Part of him was glad Arthur was unconscious for it would mean he couldn’t feel the wounds.

But then he forced himself to focus and turned to Gaius.

“What can I do?”

MMM

It was the only way Arthur could describe the sensation. He felt as if he was being burnt alive and a groan escaped him, hands gripping into fists as he tried to chase the welcoming darkness again. A gentle hand caressing the side of his face refused to let him drift away again and Arthur moaned as it pulled him back towards being awake.

“Come on, Arthur. Why is it always so hard waking you up in the morning? Time to rise and shine.”

At the sound of the voice, Arthur was convinced he had to still be dreaming. Merlin wasn’t here. According to the way his father had gloated when he had come to see him before the flogging, he was never going to be again. Arthur had apparently failed and as such, Uther was revoking his right to be Merlin’s master. Arthur had known he hadn’t handled it well and it was his own fault that a harsher whip had been used than his father had originally been planning. But Arthur hadn’t been able to get Merlin screaming his name out of his head, his voice full of such terror that it made Arthur sick thinking about it. It made him feel worse that he hadn’t stopped it and by now…

“Up and at ‘em, wakey wakey. C’mon, Arthur, stop making this so hard.”

If he was indeed dreaming, would Merlin’s voice be calling him from the darkness so insistently? Arthur shifted and that was enough for his eyes to fly open as a cry escaped him, waves upon waves of pain rippling through his body. A hand slipped into his and Arthur gripped hard even as a damp cloth rested over the back of his neck, cooling him. The pain ebbed away and Arthur rested his head against the pillows, panting.

“Merlin?” He rasped. He knew he was awake now.

“It’s me.”

Arthur rolled his head to one side, forcing bleary eyes to focus on the sight in front of him. Merlin was kneeling by the bed, concern in his eyes but a smile on his face as he realised Arthur was looking at him. Arthur could only blink as Merlin’s hand rose and brushed his hair back from his sweaty forehead.

“How?” His voice was weak with pain and Arthur felt sick. He didn’t want to know what his back was like, nor how long it would take to heal. Right now, the prince wasn’t entirely sure whether he could handle that news. Instead, he just focused on the man in front of him and wondered how it was even possible. Merlin smiled, gently drawing his hand out of Arthur’s. Even as Arthur watched in the utmost confusion, his hand rose to a makeshift scarf. Arthur knew how Merlin felt about the collar being on show, but considering he had been escaping from the king, it seemed a bit extreme to still think about fashioning one.

Then Merlin pulled it away.

“Oh,” Arthur breathed, his mind not functioning to say anything more than that. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he awkwardly moved an arm. Merlin lurched forward as if to stop him, but Arthur’s determination must have shown on his face as he fell back again. Very slowly, Arthur reached forward and let a finger caress the pale column of skin around Merlin’s neck. It was lighter than the rest, having been starved of daylight for so long. But it was soft and Arthur found himself smiling as he felt Merlin swallow.

“How?” He repeated, surprised by the fact there were tears in his eyes. This was everything he had ever wanted. To know Merlin was free. But to also know there was a chance they could help the others now. Merlin caught his hand, smiling gently as he rested the back of it against his throat.

“I realised what my destiny was,” he said softly.

“What?”

“You, you prat,” Merlin laughed, dropping their hands but letting his palm rest against Arthur’s cheek. “How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Arthur lied. He gritted his teeth and prepared to move. He had things to do, he couldn’t stay here all day. As soon as his father realised Merlin was gone, here would be the first place he would look.

“Don’t you dare,” Merlin warned. Arthur felt a comforting weight holding him down, like a soft blanket being draped over him but without aggravating his back. For a moment, he was confused. Then he understood.

“Are you using magic on me?”

“Sorry.” The feeling vanished but Arthur shook his head.

“I like it,” he whispered. It had made him feel safe, an emotion Arthur wasn’t entirely sure he was familiar with. Merlin grinned and it was such a blinding smile that Arthur felt a responding one tugging at his own lips. He knew he was half-delirious with the pain but it was as if Merlin was glowing. Arthur knew for the first time he was looking at a warlock and not a slave. Although he hadn’t considered Merlin to be a slave for a long time, he also hadn’t fooled himself into thinking Merlin was free.

“Magic suits you,” he murmured. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Now I must get Gaius, you must be feverish,” Merlin teased and Arthur rolled his eyes. He wasn’t fooled. Merlin’s words were light but his eyes were shadowed. This wasn’t over and they both knew it.

“You have to go…My father…”

“Has already looked in twice. One trying to find me and one to demand a report from Gaius about what was going on.”

“How did he not-?”

“I hid. Simple. He doesn’t know I’m free. It wasn’t as if you had hidden me, even if he could see that.”

“How come?”

“Arthur,” Merlin paused and when he leant forward, Arthur could see it wasn’t just their situation that was worrying him. The prince himself seemed to be causing Merlin concern. “You’ve been out cold for two days.”

“ _What?”_

Arthur could remember getting down from the scaffolding and his friends being there to support him. There had been a hush in the crowds for the whole of his punishment and Arthur knew his father hadn’t driven a message home but united the people behind him. If the king had been hoping to humiliate his son, the opposite had happened. Arthur knew the king was aware of that when the guard hadn’t stopped at the twenty lashes his father had threatened in the cells, but continued.

But after that, his memory was hazy. He did recall the coolness of the corridors and knowing he was back inside, but after that, there was nothing. He had assumed that he had fainted, but never had it crossed his mind he had been out for days. No wonder he felt so weak.

“I have to get up, I have…”

“Stop.” Merlin said, his hand resting against Arthur’s cheek again. Fleetingly, Arthur closed his eyes at the touch. He realised in his heart he had thought he had lost Merlin for good, a feeling that only intensified when he had seen him chained to his father’s bed. “The kingdom can manage without you for a few days.”

“But… What?” Arthur’s protests died when he saw a fond smile on Merlin’s face that the warlock was clearly trying to hide.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“You look cute when you pout.”

“I am not pouting.”

“Are.”

“Not.”

“Are,” Merlin whispered and suddenly he closed the distance between them. Arthur couldn’t properly move and he was at an awkward angle but he still felt himself relaxing as Merlin gently kissed him. It was only fleeting, but it was enough for the tension to drain from Arthur’s body and he relaxed back into the pillows.

“You’re still here though,” he murmured sleepily. He still wanted to protest that he was fine and had things to get on with, but his body was betraying him and he was finding it hard to keep his eyes open.

“Where else would I be?”

“But you’re free.”

“You know the part I said about you being my destiny,” Merlin said gently and Arthur made a noise of confirmation. “That means I’m staying with you.”

“Too dangerous.”

“I know. That’s why I have to be here to look after you.”

Arthur opened his mouth to protest that it wasn’t _him_ it was too dangerous for, but the door opened before he could do so. As Gaius walked in, Arthur knew that Merlin had sensed who was entering for he hadn’t so much as looked around.

“He’s awake.”

“He can tell Gaius himself that, thank you very much,” Arthur muttered. He wanted to sit up in order to convince Gaius that he was fine. But Merlin’s hand squeezed the back of his neck as he moved the cloth and it was just enough warning to tell Arthur to not even think about it. Still, that didn’t stop him from staring up at the physician with a beseechingly look.

“I’m fine. I can get up now, can’t I? Tell Merlin to stop fussing.”

“Arthur…” Gaius sounded older than Arthur remembered hearing him before. Merlin stood and backed away, letting the old man take his seat and address his patient without Merlin in the middle.

“How serious is it?” Arthur asked, surprised at how steady his voice was.

“You burnt with a fever for the first night. You could have died. Merlin’s magic interfered. The wounds are numerous and deep, although luckily none have become infected.”

Glancing across the room at Merlin, Arthur knew that none would become infected. Merlin’s magic would see to that. If it had indeed decided its purpose was protecting Arthur, it wasn’t going to let something like this kill him after they had come this far.

“How long until I can get up?”

“You might be able to move at the end of the week.”

“What? But Gaius…I can’t.” He didn’t know how else to make them understand that he was needed. His official duties as Crown Prince could easily be handled by the knights and nobles in his father’s pocket. But he had sworn that he would protect Morgana and he knew she wouldn’t leave the castle until he was at least walking again.

“Arthur, you really don’t have a choice unless you want to kill yourself. Now, are you going to submit to my authority and lie still or will I have to restrain you?”

“You won’t,” Merlin answered, crossing back. “I’ll make sure he stays where he is.”

Arthur looked helplessly between the two of them and found they were watching him with identical expressions of concern. He knew there would be no moving until they said so and he sighed.

“Fine.” His voice was sullen and Arthur turned his head away. He hated being stuck in bed. But almost instantly he started drifting off to sleep, barely hearing Gaius leave until suddenly Merlin’s weight on the bed made it dip.

“I knew you would be a troublesome patient,” Merlin muttered, but Arthur grabbed his wrist, turning his head back again to look Merlin in the eye.

“Are you alright?” he demanded, cursing himself for not asking it earlier. The last time they had seen each other, Merlin had been screaming for him, naked and chained to his father’s bed. He had been missing for days. There was no telling what might happen. Merlin shuddered and glanced away. Arthur’s grip tightened.

“Tell me,” he ordered softly. Merlin shifted to a more comfortable position before he started speaking. His voice was hollow as he recounted everything that had happened since the guard had cornered him but it soon began to tremble violently when he spoke of the king. Arthur knew it didn’t matter that Merlin had escaped and his magic back. No matter what Merlin said, the warlock was still utterly terrified of Uther.

Arthur didn’t blame him in the slightest. But it did make him wonder what he was supposed to do next now Merlin was free.


	24. Chapter 24

Arthur knew he had never been a good patient. But now he was restricted to his bed and unable to move even if he wanted to, he hated it. Merlin was free, meaning everything he had been working for could potentially come true and he was stuck in bed as if he was nothing more than a child. He knew he didn’t have a choice though. Fed up of his whining, Merlin had let him move once. Once he had regained consciousness, Arthur hadn’t dared try it again.

“You wanted to see me, Sire?”

Arthur knew he had always been close to Leon. But now there was a new layer of respect present. Leon hadn’t even flinched after finding out about Merlin being free and had only shook his head fondly when Arthur finally admitted his plan to free all the slaves. Arthur knew by the man’s face that Leon had worked out a long time ago that Arthur was less than happy with the situation and knew the prince well enough to know when there was something Arthur didn’t like, he changed it.

Rolling his head, Arthur nodded and gestured to a seat. He was propped up in bed, awkwardly sitting so he didn’t lean back with a mountain of pillows separating him from anything hard. It was uncomfortable, but at least it meant he could do some work and look around the room rather than being stuck lying on his stomach.

“I need you to escort Morgana out of the kingdom.”

“Excuse me?”

“She’s already informed the king that allies have been asking her for a while to spend some time at their estates. You know the king likes it when we seem to be strengthening his ties, how many years did I spend being moved around the country? He has agreed that she can go. I need you to escort her.”

“Why me rather than the usual guard your father would put in place for her?”

Arthur held Leon’s gaze for a long while. Should he admit what was really going on with Morgana?

“Things have changed,” he opted for saying. He wasn’t sure whether Morgana would tell Leon herself. Somehow, he would rather not say it out loud – he didn’t trust who his father might have listening. He knew that was him being paranoid – if men were really spying on him for his father, they would have dragged Merlin out the first time they heard his voice. But it was bad enough knowing how much danger Merlin was in, he couldn’t risk Morgana as well. Leon’s face indicated he had an idea of what was being hinted towards.

“I’ll make preparations and leave as soon as she is ready.” The knight stood and Arthur grunted with pain as his hand reached out to close around Leon’s arm.

“Keep her safe.”

“You have my word, Sire.” Leon made to take a step away and then paused. He looked over and Arthur could see concern mingled with pride in his expression. “Be careful, Arthur. You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“I know,” There was nothing else Arthur could say to that and Leon knew it. He nodded and left. Arthur blew out a long breath as he rested back against the pillows again, feeling the sweat beading his forehead. Even sitting up for any length of time was exhausting him. Then again, it had only been three days since the whipping and if Gaius had his way, then he wouldn’t be moving at all.

The door had barely shut behind Leon before the servant’s door opened and Merlin slipped back in. He moved to Arthur’s side, sitting down on the side of the bed and brushing his hair back tenderly. Arthur moved his head away in irritation.

“What is it?”

“This is taking too long. Every day that passes someone else is suffering or being collared. Every day means there is more chance of him finding you and collaring you again.”

“Then I’ll free myself again. He can’t trap me anymore, Arthur.”

“He can.” Arthur said. His gaze dropped and he sighed. “Don’t underestimate him.”

“Arthur, what-?”

“I can’t protect you like this. I can’t protect me either.”

“What are you saying? That he would use you against me just as a way of stopping me using magic?”

“Why did he send Nimueh to me then?”

Merlin had no answer. Arthur hated himself for bringing it up although he still refused to tell Merlin what had happened when Nimueh had come to him. He still got the shudders thinking about it, especially in regards to her words about having her own agenda. But he had made his point. Nimueh had come to him because the king had wanted to use it over Merlin. His father was a clever and a dangerous man, and Arthur knew things had just become even more deadly.

Merlin looked so despondent that Arthur found himself shifting until he could rest his hand over Merlin’s.

“You should leave Camelot.”

“I told you, I’m staying with you.”

“At least until I’ve healed. Then you can be by my side properly and we can put a stop to this.”

“You think it’s going to be that easy? You just said yourself not to underestimate him.”

“I know.” Arthur had never truly thought about what happened now. Planning to free the slaves had never been anything more than a dream considering they had never discovered a way out of the collars. Now they had a way… and Arthur had no idea what to do next. He lay back against the pillow, leaving his hand resting over Merlin’s. Both men were silent though, lost in troubled thoughts. Merlin being free should have been a time for celebrating, but Arthur knew he was not the only one feeling a shadow looming over them. A shadow that came in the form of his father.

“I need you to leave,” Arthur said suddenly. An idea was beginning to take place in his mind and he found himself sitting up a little straighter as he tried to sort through his thoughts.

“I just told you-,”

“Not to hide. I need you to find a safe place for the slaves.”

“Why?”

“They can’t stay here when we free them. The majority are weak and their magic has been suppressed for far longer than yours ever was. We can’t ask them to fight with us after everything they have suffered. We need somewhere for them to go before they attempt to leave Camelot, somewhere they can heal.”

“And you want me to find that?”

“Who else can I trust?”

His last words finally drew a smile from Merlin and the warlock leant over and kissed him on the forehead.

“I’ll go. But if I don’t find anywhere in two days, I’m coming straight back. I don’t trust you to not get yourself killed while I’m gone.”

“With Gaius checking on me every few seconds?”

Merlin laughed, but there was a sad tinge to it. Arthur looked him directly in the eye.

“I look forward to you being back by my side,” he said. He knew Merlin thought he had just invented the mission as a way of getting him out of Camelot and danger. “But now scoot and let me get some sleep. We still need to plan a way of getting you out of the castle. You should get some rest while you can.”

Merlin nodded and began to stand up. But he moved slowly and his hand lingered over Arthur’s. Arthur knew how he was feeling – Merlin was free and they were spending less time with each other than they had before. But this was the start of a new beginning, he could feel it. He didn’t know what was waiting for them in the future, but he did know there would be no more pretending to be the dutiful son and prince. With that thought in mind, Arthur tried to get some sleep.

He might have achieved it if the door hadn’t burst open and jerked him from his slumber. The jolt hurt and Arthur took a moment to catch his breath before looking over to see who the intruder was. He wasn’t surprised to see his father standing there – no one else would have made such an entrance. The king was looking at him with a mixture of sorrow and anger.

“Gaius reported you shouldn’t be upright yet,” Uther said. He moved further into the room and pulled around the chair that Leon had been sitting on. He remained standing though, his body tense.

“I’m fine. I had work to do.” Arthur knew his tone was clipped, but it was the one time he thought he would be able to get away with it. Not only was he in pain, he was in pain that his father had caused.

“I never meant to injure you. I only wanted to teach you a lesson.”

“According to Gaius, I could have died that first night.”

“I knew you could handle pain…”

“How about a fever, Father? Did it cross your mind that my handling of pain might not be enough? If there hadn’t been that accident with the stone, would you have even given him the order to stop or would you have waited until I was dead?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, Arthur.”

“Why not? You’ve just made it quite apparent you prefer your slaves over your own son. You would have killed me over one of them.” Arthur knew he would have handled worse if it meant saving Merlin from his father’s intentions. But the king couldn’t know that Arthur knew about Merlin’s escape and he certainly couldn’t be reminded that Arthur cared for him. Righteous indignation was the only attack Arthur had left that wouldn’t cause more problems.

“Arthur-,” Arthur turned his head away from his father. “I only ever wanted what was best for you.”

“Then start trusting me. Please.” He didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t want anything from his father. But if he could delay suspicion falling on him for a few days when slaves started going missing, then they had more of a chance of freeing more of them.

“You should get some rest.” Uther didn’t answer his son’s plea but instead turned and strode from the room. Frustrated, angry and hating that he had to play up to a man he was starting to loathe, Arthur slumped back and stared despondently around the room. There would be no rest for him now, he was too worked up. He thought about calling Merlin back through but stopped himself. Merlin needed his rest if they were going to start making preparations and Arthur couldn’t deny him that just because he was annoyed.

Resting back against his pillows, Arthur let those negative feelings slowly morph into ones of determination. His father had lied. He had never done any of this in order to do what was best by his son. Only to feed his own cruel lusts and ambitions. A smirk slowly unfurled over Arthur’s face as he started planning about who was best to start with in regards to freeing the slaves and the looks on the nobles’ faces when their pets suddenly turned against them and disappeared. He knew he was undermining the kingdom, shattering the trust between king and nobles. But this wasn’t the kingdom he wanted to inherit and right now, Arthur really didn’t care.

As the afternoon drew on, his frustration slowly dwindled away. He eventually did doze off again, only to awaken an hour later with the sense that it was time. When Merlin stumbled through, bleary eyed but determined, Arthur knew they had reached a point there would be no return from. It was time to make a difference rather than just thinking about it. Somehow, knowing how bewildered his father would be over the turn of events only fuelled Arthur – he was going to destroy everything his father had worked towards and he was going to start right now.

MMM

Merlin bit back a wince, glaring at the low ceiling as he did so. He couldn’t risk swearing though – Arthur had told him noise travelled in the tunnels and he just hoped no one had heard the collision that his head had made with the stone in the first place. Arthur might have remembered to tell him about the noise, but he had forgotten to mention how low the ceiling was. Rubbing the sore point on his head, Merlin crept onwards. The twists and turns of the tunnel was being recited in his head with every step he took, determined he wouldn’t get lost down here and have their whole plan ruined by his sense of direction.

Arthur had spent the afternoon drilling it into his head – what turns to take, where it would come out, the guard change, how far to the cover of the trees… Merlin knew with magic at his disposal again he would be able to make the guards look in the opposite direction for a few seconds while he ran for it. But it seemed to help Arthur to go through it and Merlin had let it happen. He could see how much the prince was hating being stuck in bed and if he hadn’t let Arthur talk him through every step, Merlin wasn’t sure he would have been allowed to leave.

But the time had come for him to slip from the prince’s rooms and find the lose shield on the wall in the armoury. It hadn’t taken him much effort at all to prise it lose, hand the keys back to Lancelot to return to Arthur and venture into the dark. He had thought about using magic to create a light, but he knew if he was detected then it would all be over. After everything he had handled up until now, an hour or so in the dark wasn’t going to break him.

This time, Merlin kept his arms stretched in front of him as he stumbled on, hoping his fingers would brush any hidden obstacles (such as a stooping ceiling) before his head did. For a while, the only thing he could hear was his own muffled footsteps and the thud of his heart. Arthur hadn’t said how long he would have to walk for, but Merlin knew he had to be almost out. He knew the distance from the castle to the forest, and this passageway came out at the edge of the walls. He should be nearly there by now.

No sooner had the thoughts crossed his mind when his fingers brushed against something. Merlin stopped before carefully feeling in front of him. He had made it – it was the door Arthur had promised.

“ _Aliese.”_ Merlin didn’t trust his magic yet to use it instinctively. It still felt on edge and the last thing he wanted was to blast the door off completely instead of just unlocking it. None of this would work if they were discovered and the route blocked before they got anyone out. It swung open soundlessly and Merlin dropped to the ground, keeping his back against the wall and looking around as he waited to see if he had been spotted. It was a dark night but there was just enough of a moon for him to see his path. While the darkness helped conceal him from the guards, Merlin didn’t want to roam the woods without anything to guide his way. A clang of metal from somewhere above him signalled where the guards were on their patrol. Merlin slowly counted to twenty before sprinting for the trees as fast as he could.

Every step he took had him listening desperately for the shout of alarm behind him. But before he knew it, his feet were stumbling over roots and he was able to dive behind a tree. Knowing he was out of sight, Merlin took a moment to catch his breath and thanked Arthur for the information. He could have used magic, but this way no suspicion had been raised at all. He had made it to the forest.

Now all he had to do was find the Druids.

He didn’t know where they were – he didn’t even know if they were situated in this forest. But they had been mentioned during their conversation that afternoon and the idea had stuck. If anyone would help the slaves recover and be able to aid them with their magic as well, it would be the Druids. But Merlin knew finding them was only half of the problem. They had hidden from Uther from years and if they realised Arthur was in on the plan, they were more likely to refuse than to risk being captured themselves. Merlin just hoped the fact that he was out here and free would be enough to convince them Arthur was a different man to his father.

But first, he had to locate them. Catching his breath, Merlin carefully set off into the forest. Arthur had warned him to stay on the path. Merlin knew if there was any chance of finding the hidden group, he was going to have to stray and just hope his magic was enough to guide him back to Arthur when his job was done. Merlin was grateful for the slither of moonlight and found himself gradually relaxing as he walked further away from Camelot. He had spent many a night as a child by the edge of the woods and after spending so long imprisoned within the castle, the cool night air was refreshing and invigorating. Breathing in deeply, Merlin watched with a smile as his magic danced around him, rustling the leaves and floating fallen petals into the air and twisting them into shapes before letting them float back to the ground again. Letting his hand brush across the bark of a tree, Merlin felt his smile fade.

If he failed at this, then none of the other slave would get to experience just how sweet freedom felt after being collared. He had to succeed. He pulled his magic in, stopping it from playing around as he set off at a faster pace. He had meant what he had said to Arthur – if he didn’t find them in two days then he would return to the castle. Arthur might still believe being the Crown Prince offered him protection from his father, but Merlin wasn’t so sure. Not after almost losing him to the whipping.

But as it was, he didn’t need to find the Druids. They found him. Merlin wasn’t sure how long it took him to notice that he was being tracked, but by the time the sun rose, he knew for sure. He stopped, bending down with the pretence of checking his shoe. The footsteps he hadn’t been sure whether he was imagining or not stopped a split second later and that was all Merlin needed to know. He jumped up, thrusting his hand out in front of him and letting gold flood his eyes. He would not be taken unaware again – no one would have the chance to drug him the way the soldiers had first done. But there was no need for magic, for a young man not much older than himself stepped into the clearing, hands up.

“I mean you no harm.”

“Who are you?” Merlin wasn’t prepared to take anything on chance, not when there was so much resting on this. But the man slowly pulled up his sleeve and showed Merlin his arm. The warlock let the magic fade away at seeing the mark of the Druids.

“My name is Eridos. I believe you have been searching for us.”

“I need your help,” Merlin admitted, running his hand through his hair and stifling a yawn as he did so. “I came from Camelot.”

The man jerked back before checking himself. “But you have magic. How have you escaped the collar?”

“I didn’t,” Merlin said carefully. He wasn’t sure if Eridos would believe him when he told him what happened. “But I broke free.”

“Emrys,” the man breathed. Merlin glanced over his shoulder, expecting someone else to be standing behind him.

“Who?”

Eridos moved closer and before Merlin could do anything, had taken hold of his arm. Merlin felt his magic jump in response to whatever Eridos was doing and the man’s face was one of awe.

“You are Emrys.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t…”

“You’re the strongest of us all. You’re the one destined to lead us into the golden age. The one to create Albion with the Once and Future King.”

“I just came here to ask for your help…” Merlin muttered. He had a feeling he should feel overwhelmed by what Eridos was saying, but he was too confused. “There is a plan to free the other slaves and we need somewhere to send them…”

“Come,” Eridos cut him off. He took a few steps away and gestured for Merlin to follow him. Merlin looked around the clearing and knew he didn’t have much of a choice – he had come to find the Druids, he couldn’t back out now. Hoping this wasn’t a mistake, he followed Eridos further into the trees. It only took a few moments before he had no idea where he was and he hurried to keep up with his guide.

It was no surprise that Uther had never found the Druids. Merlin could sense the protection spells around the clearing before he even saw anything. Then it felt like he had passed through some sort of shield and suddenly, a small village was in front of him. The houses were too permanent to be tents and there was a sense of community in the air. Children were running around, shrieking with laughter while woman talked over fires. It felt so much like Ealdor that Merlin felt his breath catch.

“Emrys has found us!” Eridos shouted, his voice carrying easily. Merlin stepped back when he suddenly realised that everyone was turning to look at him. Eridos put his hand on his back, stopping him from retreating. “The prophecy is coming true!”

Before Merlin could stop it, he was being pushed further into the clearing. Everyone was staring at him with the same expression of awe as Eridos had displayed and the children were watching him slack-jawed, not even attempting to conceal their wonder.

“I don’t understand,” Merlin muttered, “who am I?”

“You really don’t know?” There was such disbelief in Eridos voice that Merlin felt himself straightening.

“I came here because I plan to help Prince Arthur free the rest of the slaves after he was able to do that for me. I don’t care who you think I am. I just need to know whether you will help us or not.”

“He’s a Pendragon whore! He’s not Emrys!”

Merlin couldn’t see who had shouted. But he didn’t need to. His magic sprung from him and darkness fell across the camp. Merlin felt the air temperature drop but he had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he hadn’t fought against being a slave for this entire time for someone to call him something like that. Not after everything he had come to feel for Arthur. A strip of lightening flashed across the camp and before Merlin knew it, everyone was on their knees. The power faded from him again and the camp returned to being bathed in sunshine.

“I don’t know what you think about Emrys. I don’t know what prophecy you speak of. But I know I was wrong thinking you would help. If that is how you will speak to other slaves held against their will and used as animals, then they will find no healing here.”

He turned on his heel, preparing to leave. Tears of anger pinched the corners of his eyes. He had never thought about how other sorcerers would view him knowing he had been a slave. He thought Camelot was bad, but the idea the same hatred could be found elsewhere…

“Wait,” Eridos said. Merlin turned to see the man was glaring at someone in the crowd. “He doesn’t speak for all of us and will be punished for speaking the way he did. Of course we will help you.”

This time, a tear fell and Merlin nodded in gratitude. Maybe there was a chance Arthur’s plan would work after all?


	25. Chapter 25

“I should have gone as well.”

“Merlin will be fine,” Arthur responded, glancing over at Lancelot as he did so. With Leon, Morgana and Merlin gone, the knight had taken it upon himself to keep Arthur company whenever his duties allowed. The prince was grateful. Merlin had only been gone a day, but Arthur was missing his presence. He hadn’t missed him when he had been missing; concern had taken place and he had been actively seeking out the man. But being stuck in bed with very little to do, knowing his whole plan rested on Merlin’s success, meant that Arthur was feeling his absence. He tried not to say anything though. Merlin had promised to be back by the next day, after all.

“Merlin?”

“What else were you talking about?” Shifting position, Arthur gritted his teeth to stop his grimace showing on his face. While Lancelot knew how much pain he was in, it didn’t mean that Arthur liked to show it. His back had begun to itch where the whip had broken the skin and while Gaius assured him that was a good thing and it meant the wounds were healing, it was driving Arthur mad.

“Leon. I should have gone with him.” Lancelot looked to the door as he spoke and Arthur wondered if the man was literally about to run out after them.

“He can protect Morgana perfectly well on his own. It’s hardly the first time he has escorted a person of importance somewhere.” Arthur lost count of the amount of times Leon had guarded him on a visit to a random noble to keep his father happy. It wasn’t as if the knight had had a choice – Arthur had flatly refused to go unless Leon was his guard. His father thought he was being stubborn, but Arthur had just wanted a friend along to make it more bearable.

“It’s not as if Morgana is the only one he is protecting,” Lancelot muttered. Arthur sat up a little straighter, a smile unfurling on his lips as he finally realised why Lancelot was behaving like this.

“Morgana has taken Gwen, hasn’t she?”

“Did you expect her to be left behind?”

Shaking his head, Arthur reached out and grasped Lancelot’s arm. “It’s safer for her away from here. Things are going to get complicated soon and I need you focused, not worrying about Gwen. She’s perfectly safe, I give you my word.”

“If anything happens to her…”

“Then I assure you that you will be first in line to take it out on me. Or maybe second, Elyan might get their first… She’s my friend as well, Lancelot. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. If I thought Leon needed more men, I would have sent them. Their safety is just as important to me as what is happening here.”

Lancelot looked at him for a long moment before his brown eyes softened and he relaxed. Arthur let go of his arm, fondness coursing through him. He should have realised. Now he knew what it was like to be in love and be parted from that person, he should have guessed that Lancelot would feel Gwen’s absence. Especially as he was aware Morgana’s visit was just a rouse – no noble had asked her and if Uther got wind of that, things could turn ugly. Arthur rested back, pleased that it didn’t take so much out of him now to move around. He hoped by the next day he would be even better and would actually be able to stand to greet Merlin on his return.

But as he settled on the pillows, another thought made itself known. Gwen was not the only one taking refuge in Morgana’s chambers. If anyone found her there… He sat back up, going pale as he moved too fast. Lancelot instantly moved closer, resting a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. Rather than allowing himself to be comforted, however, Arthur gripped the man’s arm again. This time, there was nothing reassuring about his biting grasp.

“You have to go to Morgana’s chambers,” he muttered, attempting to get out of bed at the same time. It was humiliating how easy it was for Lancelot to push him back.

“Easy, Arthur. You know you can’t move…”

“You have to…”

“I’m going,” Lancelot soothed, stepping back from the bed. “Just don’t try to move. What do you want me to fetch?”

“A girl,” Arthur said and Lancelot’s eyebrows rose.

“Excuse me?”

“Morgana had taken Freya in to stop my father from finding her after Valiant’s death,” Arthur explained. He didn’t want to go into the true reasons why; that Morgana had wanted someone to help her with her magic. “If anyone finds out she is still in there…”

“I understand. Shall I bring her back here?”

Arthur nodded. “You’ll have to until I can find something better.”

Lancelot nodded, shot Arthur a reassuring smile and left the room. Alone with his thoughts and the worry coursing through him, Arthur couldn’t relax this time. As soon as Merlin returned, they would have to free Freya and get her out of the castle. Uther would have forgotten about her for now, but if he caught so much of a glimpse, he would realise someone had been hiding her. The last thing Arthur wanted was for more suspicion to fall on him, not when he was trying to persuade his father he could be trusted.

Not knowing what to do, Arthur looked around the room. There was nothing in reach for him to work on and he refused to sit here doing nothing. He could move now; his back was healing. Steeling himself, the prince gripped the edge of the bed. Very carefully, he navigated himself round until his feet were touching the floor. His toes curled at the cold stone and Arthur breathed in deeply through his nose as he shifted his weight. The first part was fine – his legs were a touch shaky, but nothing hurt. But then it came to straightening up.

He couldn’t do it. Technically, he was standing but he was bent over like an old man and Arthur gasped at how much it hurt. It wasn’t even the wounds as such, but the feeling of the muscles trying to work when they had spent the last few days completely tensed against the pain and stiff from being in the same position. Now he felt like he was stuck. He couldn’t straighten up, but he didn’t seem to be able to sit back down again either. Arthur cursed. He knew there was a reason he should listen to Gaius, but he had just been bored.

A soft knock on the door made him close his eyes in despair.

“Who is it?”

“Me, Sire.” Arthur sighed in relief at Gaius’ voice. The last thing he wanted was for a servant or guard to enter and find him stuck like this. Although they wouldn’t say anything, Arthur knew the stories would be around the castle by evening and his father would both hear and disapprove. Gaius, however, would lecture him and then let it go. Bracing himself for the trouble he was landing himself in, Arthur looked up the best he could.

“Come in.” His hand was gripping the edge of the bed with a knuckle-white grip as he tried to stop himself from falling over. Something told him if that happened, there would be no attempting to stand for a long time. He heard the door up but kept his gaze locked on the ground.

“Oh, Arthur.”

Nothing more was said as Gaius came across the room. Arthur wasn’t quite sure what the physician did, but whatever it was helped him to move again. He very slowly straightened his back and sighed in relief as he felt the muscles trying to work as normal again rather than tightening on him.

“There is a reason I say wait, you know that, don’t you?”

Arthur shot Gaius a rueful grin. He didn’t need to say anything. Gaius knew him well – better than he knew himself at times considering the old man had known about his feelings towards Merlin before even Arthur had. The look on his face just confirmed that Gaius had known this was coming.

“I was hoping you would at least wait until someone else is in the room,” he scolded, “but I guess I should have known better.”

Gaius’ hand rested on his shoulder and Arthur allowed himself to be steered back to the edge of the bed. He sat down on it but kept his feet on the floor. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked up at Gaius, frustration swimming in his eyes.

“How long until I can move properly?”

“That depends on how much you push yourself. If you over do it, you could open up the wounds again and increase your chance of another fever. You’re weak, Arthur, and you have to give your body time to recover.”

“I don’t have time,” Arthur snapped. Gaius raised an eyebrow at him and Arthur felt a flush begin, coating his cheeks before running down his neck. Gaius had always been able to make him feel like a scolded child. He didn’t say anything and the silence stretched on for a few moments. Then the bed dipped under Gaius’ weight and he sat down next to the prince.

“I’m not going to ask you to explain that,” he said quietly. “As I don’t want to know. I have a feeling the fewer people who know what you are up to, Arthur Pendragon, the better.”

Arthur felt his flush grow. Gaius was right. Everyone who had even a hint of his scheme were committing treason. If there was one thing Arthur knew about his father, it was that mercy would not be offered.

“But I do know you won’t be any help to those you are trying to protect if you cripple yourself moving too fast.”

Arthur shook his head. “There’s no time, Gaius. Merlin’s escape has sparked my father into a new sort of frenzy. Lancelot told me he sent out another three raiding parties this morning. I don’t know if he is trying to find Merlin or show one escaped sorcerer does not mean he is weak. But unless I stop this, _now_ , it’s going to be so big I won’t be able to.”

Right now, the only way Arthur knew to get the collars off was Merlin’s magic. He had no idea if anyone else collared had that power. But the more Merlin had to free, the more chance there was of someone putting an arrow or a sword into him.

“I can see there is no stopping you,” Gaius said kindly. “But promise me you will look after yourself as well as the rest of the kingdom?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, probably knowing he wouldn’t get one. But Arthur spoke again before he could leave.

“What do you know about Nimueh?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Curious,” Arthur said. He was sure his face would be giving away what had happened between them. Gaius studied him for a long moment before sighing.

“She’s dangerous, Arthur. Even collared. Her role in your past is far more complicated than you could ever imagine. But do not underestimate her. Years as a slave has no damaged her cunning or her wit. Or her ambition, for that matter. Stay away from her.”

Arthur felt himself nodding absently even as Gaius left. What the physician had said chilled him. He had sensed that ambition within her even as she had straddled him on this bed. But what was it that she wanted other than freedom? There had been a spark of something else, something Arthur couldn’t put his finger on.

The one thing he did know, however, was that Merlin couldn’t free her first. They needed the protection of others before unleashing such a powerful sorceress. _He_ needed their protection, for there was something about her that made his skin crawl.

MMM

“This is where I must leave you,” Eridos said. He sounded apologetic but he stopped and Merlin knew he would go no further. Nor would he try to persuade the man too. Merlin knew he would have never found the path again on his own, not with night falling fast. But he could make his way easily to Camelot from here. That ease, however, was precisely why Eridos wouldn’t take another step. The Druids had been hidden from Uther Pendragon for decades now, Merlin was not about to ask them to risk that for him, not considering everything else they were already risking.

“Thank you.” Stepping forward, he grasped arms with the man. Eridos had calmed down with his awe once he realised Merlin was just like him; a young man with magic, out of his depth about what he should be doing but adamant that he had to do something. They had a plan – Merlin had been able to explain what the collar felt like (and the Druids had politely ignored how badly he had been shaking) and even now they were coming up with plans for how they would helped the soon-to-be freed sorcerers.

“Good luck.” Eridos returned the grip, offering Merlin a reassuring smile. He took a long glance at the path before shuddering and stepping back from it. “I hope you return here soon. And I hope you aren’t alone when you do.”

Merlin returned the smile and watched as Eridos disappeared back into the forest, his magic cloaking him and making him hard to see in the darkness. Merlin wished he knew how to do that. Hopefully when all of this was over, he would be able to learn about the complexities of his magic rather than relying on sheer power. The thought was a happy one, one Merlin had never been able to contemplate before and there was a spring in his step as he set off down the path. He skirted the edge, keeping as much in the undergrowth as on the trial, but he knew he had to follow it. He had promised Arthur he would be back by tonight and Merlin fully intended to keep that promise.

He knew he should have been more alert. But knowing there was a plan to free others and he would actually be able to help his fellow slaves had left Merlin feeling invincible. He didn’t hear the horses until they were practically upon him. Merlin tried to step further off the path to let them pass, but froze when a spear rested across his back and stopped him from moving.

“What do you reckon? Potential slave or just another whelp foolish enough to roam the forest by night?”

Merlin’s heart sunk after thudding uncomfortably hard. He slowly looked up and knew his fear was right. Slavers. The ropes and nets draped over their horses gave that much away, along with the look of delight at finding a potential prey so close to Camelot. Looking around, Merlin knew he couldn’t run. He had seen how quick they were with the spears – and accurate as well. They would be able to fell him without causing permanent damage.

“I’m returning to my farm,” he said quietly. “My family are expecting me. Let me pass.”

“He’s got confidence,” a man sneered, prodding him with his spear. “You know the king likes breaking the confident ones. We could take him in anyway.”

His palms were sweaty and Merlin tried to squash the rising panic he felt growing when the man talked about the king. It didn’t surprise him that Uther would take anyone who couldn’t fight back, regardless of whether they had magic or not. But he couldn’t dwell on that now. Two of the men were dismounting and the others had shifted their grip to be ready. He had to act. And this time, Merlin knew he had the power to do so. He would not be dragged back into Camelot. It wasn’t his destiny to be collared.

He backed up as much as he could, the spear digging uncomfortably into his back. He had most of the men in his eye-line though and as the two stepped towards him, Merlin acted. His hands thrust out in front of him and he could feel his eyes burning as power flooded his body and they burned gold. The men had time to gasp, but no time to consider their potential prize. A pulse of magic shot from Merlin, so strong the trees surrounding them seem to sway and the warlock could feel his heart thudding in his ears as the magic settled again. When he dared to look, it was to see all five men were unconscious and the horses were in the process of bolting from his power. Merlin sent a small tap after them, knowing the further away they were, the longer it would take the men to get back to Camelot.

Aiding himself with magic, he dragged them off the path and out of sight. He was exhausted by the time he was finished and trembling slightly from the exertion. He had never used magic that strong before and Merlin knew he was right: he would never be collared again. He had the power to defend himself. He had the power to defend others and he knew he needed to get back to the castle. Sparing one more glance at the fallen men, he turned and ran.

Darkness had properly fallen by the time the castle loomed in front of him. Merlin couldn’t see the guards from the treeline, so he held his breath and ran, hoping that they on a different part of the turrets. Luck was with him and no alarm was raised as he darted across open ground and pressed himself against the stonework. It felt comforting against his back and Merlin wondered when he had considered Camelot to be his home. Twisting his hand, he released the secret door and slipped inside.

The journey back into the castle didn’t seem as long as the one out. In no time at all, he was locking the shield back into place and stealing to the door of the armoury. Checking it was clear, Merlin ran through the corridors, taking every concealed route he knew. He was lucky; the time of day meant servants had retired for the night and it was only the guards he had to dodge. But their heavy footfall indicated their whereabouts long before Merlin saw them and it took him very little time before he was pressing down on Arthur’s door handle and slipping in. Locking it behind him, Merlin leant against the door and took the time to catch his breath.

Even as he sucked in gasps of air, he looked across the room and felt a warm smile spreading over his face. Arthur was sitting up, a look of longing on his face as he looked back at Merlin. As the prince tried to shift position, Merlin was across the room. Kneeling in front of him, he craned up until he could kiss the prince. He had found an answer, he had succeeded in what Arthur had asked him to do. They could make the prince’s dream come true and Merlin wanted to tell Arthur all of that through his kisses.

Arthur’s hand settled comfortingly on his neck, his fingers curling around as he pulled him closer. Merlin went eagerly, resting a hand on Arthur’s thigh for balance. He eventually pulled back and he knew his eyes were smiling as much as his lips.

“What took you so long?” Arthur murmured and Merlin lightly laughed.

“I said I would be back in two days. And I am.”

“And?” There was hope in Arthur’s eyes but his voice was controlled. He didn’t want to dream only to have it dashed. But Merlin smiled and slowly nodded.

“I found the Druids,” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. “And they are going to help us. Even now they are planning ways to help someone’s magic settle after it is being released.”

“They’ll help?” There was raw emotion in Arthur’s voice and Merlin’s fingers folded around Arthur’s to help ground him. “We can actually do this?”

“We can.” As the warmth from the fire washed into him, Merlin suddenly yawned. It had been a long few days. He made to lean against Arthur when something prickled the back of his neck and he tensed, looking around.

“There’s someone in the servant’s room,” he muttered. “A sorcerer.”

He couldn’t sense their magic but he could sense the collar and it made him shiver. He made to rise, to find out who was there. What if it was Nimueh sent by the king to spy on Arthur? But he didn’t make it a step before Arthur’s hand closed around his wrist.

“It’s Freya,” the man explained gently. “Morgana has left the city. She had taken Freya in and I couldn’t let my father find out. Lancelot is in there as well, making sure she is safe and if she needs anything.”

Warmth exploded in Merlin’s chest. Even if he couldn’t get the collars off, Arthur was still protected them. His weariness disappeared and he was kissing Arthur again before he knew what he was doing. Arthur lay back, pulling Merlin with him until the warlock swung a leg over his prince in order to kiss him better. Then he stopped.

“What?” Arthur asked, his voice a little breathless and his eyes dark. Merlin shook his head.

“Your back.” It was the same reason Arthur had been forced to stop before. Arthur thought for a moment before grinning. Merlin’s head hit the pillow before he realised he had been flipped and he laughed.

“Someone’s feeling better.”

“I need you,” Arthur murmured, nuzzling into his neck. “A few sore points won’t stop me.”

Merlin moaned, hands reaching blindly to remove clothing at the want in Arthur’s voice. His legs were trapped under Arthur and he couldn’t remove his breeches. A flash of his eyes and they were both naked, Arthur laughing against him.

“Handy.”

“Wait,” Merlin rested a hand on Arthur’s chest. “I had a run in with slavers in the forest.” Arthur had to know but Merlin didn’t know how to tell him gently. Arthur tensed, examining him closely.

“I’m alright. I knocked them out. But what if they tell your father?”

Arthur sat back on his haunches and Merlin had to bite his lip at the pressure the prince was unknowingly putting in all the right places. To his surprise, Arthur smiled.

“Good. Then my father will either think it is you and have them hunting the forest rather than the castle. Or they’ll be looking for another sorcerer who doesn’t exist and won’t have time to take anyone new.”

Merlin stared at him. Then he grinned. “You really do see the positives in every situation, don’t you?”

A hand rose and stroked Arthur’s cheek gently. To Merlin’s delight, Arthur leant into the touch.

“Now come on,” Merlin whined, wriggling and spreading his legs, pushing up against Arthur. “I thought you were showing me how much you needed me?”

There was no more talking after that. Merlin’s hands gripped the sheets and he thought he might rip them. With one leg over Arthur’s shoulder, his face was contorted as pleasure ripped through every inch of his body. Arthur was making it last, alternating between hard and fast and soft and leisurely. When Merlin was almost sobbing with need, the prince gave him what he wanted and it was so perfect Merlin came without Arthur touching him. As the prince slipped out, rested Merlin back against the bed and lay down beside him, Merlin caught his breath with a goofy grin.

“I’m going away more often if that is what I get on my return.”

“You aren’t leaving my side,” Arthur growled, an arm possessively wound around his waist. Merlin leant into the touch and kissed Arthur’s nose.

“Never.”


	26. Chapter 26

Arthur breathed in deeply, Merlin’s hair tickling his nose as he did so. He had never been one for sleeping on his side, but the wounds on his back meant that he had no choice. His arm had stayed wrapped around Merlin’s waist throughout the night, keeping the man flush against him. Merlin having been gone for a few days had made Arthur realise that he wanted the man by his side no matter what came next. He couldn’t tell anyone – Morgana for one would mock him for turning into a girl if she knew how deep his emotions now ran. But Arthur thought the opposite. Being in love didn’t make him weak. It made him strong. It gave him the courage to oppose his father and defy his regime with everything that he had. Arthur had always wanted to fight for the slaves, but now he was fighting for Merlin, he felt as if he could actually succeed.

Thinking of the man meant Arthur suddenly realise what had awoken him as his hips stuttered on their own accord and a soft laugh tickled the base of his neck. Opening his eyes. Arthur stared down at the top of Merlin’s head even as the warlock continued to stroke him.

“Merlin…” Arthur didn’t have the chance to say anything else though. Upon realising the prince was awake, Merlin’s speed and grip changed and Arthur’s hand was fisting on the sheets as he tried to control himself and not give into the pleasure. He was a prince, after all. He would not behave like a wanton commoner. But Merlin’s grip was perfect and it only took a few more moments before he was shuddering and finally crashing back down. Merlin sat up properly, kissing his forehead and laughing as he pushed Arthur’s hair back.

“I thought you were supposed to be the innocent one,” Arthur murmured. There was no heat in his voice though and he contently lay there as Merlin’s fingers walked up and down his arm. Merlin shrugged.

“You corrupted me.”

“ _I_ corrupted _you_.”

“Yep. You expect me to wake up in your very naked arms and not do anything about that?”

“Well…” Arthur leant forward and captured Merlin’s lip in a kiss. When he finally let him go again, Merlin was the one who was flushed and he had a dazed look on his face.

“Like I said,” Merlin continued once he had caught his breath. “Corruption.”

While Arthur would have liked to have spent the morning exploring just how far he could corrupt Merlin, he knew now was neither the time nor the place. He kissed him softly and reluctantly nudged him out of his arms.

“You should get dressed,” he murmured. “It’s not safe.”

“It’s never safe.” Merlin pouted as he climbed out of bed. Arthur admired the view while he found his clothes but then sighed when Merlin was dressed. He was right; it was never safe. Now the collar was off his neck, it felt like Merlin was here on borrowed time. Any day could mean he would be found and either killed or forced to flee. The thoughts were troubling and Arthur pushed himself upright.

“Should you be getting out of bed?” Merlin hurried back to his side. To Arthur’s amusement, he was tying another scarf around his neck. It seemed he had grown used to them and had no intention of stopping despite having no collar to hide. Arthur nodded.

“I tried it while you weren’t here.”

“And failed by the look of concentration on your face now.”

“I’m not just sitting here!” Arthur exclaimed, giving into the frustration he could feel burning within. Merlin didn’t answer but before Arthur could say anything else, there was a hand in his. Very slowly, Merlin pulled him to his feet and aided Arthur in straightening up properly. It hurt like hell, but Arthur could feel that even in the last two days since he had tried, his back had healed just a touch more. Still not speaking, he stepped across the room.

Not stopping until he had walked to his table and back again, Arthur let Merlin guide him back to the bed once he had accomplished it.

“I need to be stronger than this,” Arthur muttered, running a hand through his hair.

“Arthur…”

“We can’t keep Freya in the servant’s quarters. I can only sneak so much extra food and so far it has only been for one person. Now both of you are here, however…”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to get that collar off her neck and her as far away from here as possible.” Arthur said firmly. He knew it was the only thing to do. For too long he had been planning on freeing the slaves. Now it was time he put his words into action and actually did something about it. Merlin looked as if he was going to say something before he words caught in his throat and he nodded softly. He knelt in front of Arthur, taking his hand.

“You know I will do whatever you ask of me,” he said. His voice was serious and Arthur knew he was meaning everything he was saying. “You saved my life when I got here. You’ve been saving me every day since and taught me to never give up hope. I love you for that. And I swear that I will do whatever is in my power to help you fulfil your dreams.”

Arthur cupped his cheek, leant forward and kissed the crown of his head. He had no words that befitted the occasion and both men stayed silent for a moment. Then Arthur cleared his throat.

“Bring Freya through, would you? She needs to understand what is truly going on.”

“You didn’t tell her?”

“I didn’t know you were coming back,” Arthur admitted. It wasn’t because he thought something would happen to Merlin. It was more he had given the man his complete freedom. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Merlin hadn’t returned to the castle that had destroyed his life despite their love. A look of hurt flickered across Merlin’s face as he rose but he rolled his eyes and swatted Arthur gently around the head.

“Prat,” he muttered.

“Idiot.” Arthur shot back. He grinned, the moment broken as Merlin moved across the room. But when Merlin entered the servant’s room, Arthur’s grin faded. He had meant what he had said, they had to get Freya out before suspicion was aroused and both of them were found. But Arthur also knew this was his defining moment. No longer was he just thinking about taking action, he was going to do it. While he didn’t know what would happen next, he did know it was a new beginning and there would be no coming back from it. He only hoped that he was ready for whatever fate decided to throw at him in punishment for disobeying his king and father. There were times when Uther could still make him feel like a scolded child and Arthur didn’t like admitting even to himself that he was scared of him.

Hearing Merlin laugh, Arthur steeled himself. If he was scared of his father, then it was no comparison for the fear that Merlin felt towards the man who had enslaved and tried to rape him. Arthur would not call a man like that his father any longer and by the time Merlin reappeared, leading Freya by the hand, Arthur was ready to do whatever it took.

Merlin sat on the bed next to him but Freya sat on the floor. Arthur knew she would be uncomfortable if he offered her a seat. She had spent far longer as a slave than Merlin had. She knew him as the prince, not Arthur. It was going to take time to change that and Arthur just hoped that he could prove worthy of her trust.

“Has Merlin told you anything?” He said gently. Freya glanced at Merlin before looking at the floor again.

“He said that you were going to free me.” There was barely concealed raw emotion in her voice and Arthur understood what Merlin had said about hope. Giving it to someone gave you power – the power to deliver more than that or the power to destroy them by taking it away again. “But I don’t understand, Sire. It’s not possible. The collars, the cuffs…”

Arthur had forgotten about the cuffs. He glanced at Merlin. When had he removed his? Merlin shrugged with a small smile.

“The Druids are studying them.”

Arthur nodded, knowing an answer was not needed as he turned back to Freya.

“Merlin has neither. His magic was strong enough to overcome the power of the collar and he was able to break free. He seems to be the only one powerful enough to do so. But I have studied the collars. Magic is needed to break the lock and it is our belief that Merlin can do so.”

“But I thought they latched onto our magic?”

“They do.” Arthur wondered how she knew that. Was it common knowledge amongst the slaves or did some masters taunt them with the fact their own power was holding them captive? Or maybe Morgana told her? “But Merlin can be an anchor. A channel, if you like. His magic will force the lock just enough that you can use yours without being in pain because of it. The more you use, the wider the gap will open and the more you can then use. He will withdraw and your magic will spring the lock. Does that make sense?”

“No.” Freya said bluntly and Arthur felt an irrational surge of pride when she smiled shyly at him. “But if it works it doesn’t have to make sense.”

“We’ve never done it before though,” Arthur said. Before he knew what he was doing, he had slid off the bed and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. “But we believe it will work. I can’t promise there won’t be an element of danger. Before Merlin, no one survived the process of taking them off.”

“I trust Merlin,” Freya said simply. She squeezed Arthur’s hand. “And I trust you, Sire.”

“Very well.” Arthur glanced over his shoulder and Merlin nodded, joining them on the floor. “Let’s get you free.”

To his surprise, Freya lurched back. “Not here.” She said, glancing around the room.

“What is it?”

“My magic isn’t like yours, Merlin. It isn’t a power I can control as such. I…change with my magic. Usually I can control it but now…” She trailed off and Arthur understood. After so long being suppressed, there was no telling what her magic would do when finally released.

“Where is a good place then?”

“Outside,” Freya said, glancing at the window. “Somewhere I can fly away if I can’t control it. I don’t want to hurt you by accident.”

Arthur was dying to ask what sort of magic she had, but a look from Merlin stopped him. Arthur didn’t understand different sorts of magic yet and he knew there was every chance he could offend Freya with his curiosity. There would be time for answers when everyone was free.

“We’ll go to the forest tonight,” Arthur declared.

“You can’t move properly,” Merlin murmured and Arthur glared at him.

“If you think I’m about to let you do this on your own, think again.”

“Yes, Sire.”

Just like earlier, there was only sincerity in Merlin’s voice. It was the first time he had addressed Arthur like that and the prince felt stronger for it. These two people had every right to hate him and yet they were trusting him with not only their lives, but their freedom. He smiled gently and took Merlin’s hand.

“You should get some rest,” he said to both of them. “There is no telling how much strength you’ll need for this. I’ll make sure no one comes near here today.”

Rising to his feet, Arthur squeezed Freya’s shoulder and ruffled Merlin’s hair as he moved towards the door. He didn’t yet know what lies he was going to tell to make sure they weren’t disturbed. But he knew it was time to start playing his part. For whatever came next would set everything in motion and change things permanently. 

MMM

“Remember to give it ten minutes before you leave and make sure the fire is still burning. They have to think I’m in here.”

“I know,” Merlin muttered, grinning and trying to shove Arthur towards the door. “Now unless you change your mind about me coming with you now, then get going.”

The prince looked reluctant, so Merlin stepped forward and kissed him. Arthur sighed and backed towards the door. Freya was waiting for him and with a final look, the pair disappeared and Merlin took to pacing the room. He understood that they couldn’t leave all together but that didn’t mean he liked it. He was slipping out the same way he had before, but Arthur and Freya were walking out. Or stumbling in Arthur’s case. Arthur had made a point when he had said no one would stop the Crown Prince from dragging a collared slave out if that is what he wanted. But if he was challenged, if Uther got wind of what was going on, Merlin knew Arthur couldn’t protect either himself or Freya. It took all of his courage to remain in the room for as long as Arthur asked rather than running straight after them. Arthur was too noble. Merlin had decided that was what the problem was. But at least with Freya to protect, he wouldn’t do anything foolish.

At least, Merlin hoped not. Gnawing on his nail, he continued to pace until he changed direction and headed towards the door. He didn’t know if ten minutes had passed or not, but he knew they had had enough time to get down the corridor and out of sight. With his hand on the handle, Merlin glanced back at the fire and it responded to his glowing eyes, leaping up before settling and burning steadily again. With any luck, they would be back before it went out and no one would know Arthur wasn’t in his rooms. The story had gone around his fever had returned – the common guards wouldn’t know he wasn’t supposed to be wandering around, but with any luck the king wouldn’t decide to pay his son a visit.

The corridors were deserted apart from one heart-stopping moment when Merlin nearly walked straight into the back of a pair of guards. A lose stone had been all the distracted he had needed for them to chase shadows and for him to sprint the other way as quickly and quietly as he could. There was no Lancelot with the key this time, so Merlin used magic to open the hidden entrance and tried to move the shield back into position the best he could afterwards. It was late, meaning it was unlikely anyone would enter the armoury at all. Once he was in the tunnel, Merlin remembered to keep quiet and his head down as he hurried along.

Counting the guards just as he had done before, the journey to the forest seemed to take no time at all. He had beaten Freya and Arthur there and spent an anxious few moments pacing the tree line before he saw two figures hurrying towards them. When they were in sight, Merlin swallowed. Arthur’s hand was gripped around Freya’s wrist and both of them were pale.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” Arthur said, letting her go. “I had to spin a story, that’s all.”

Considering Arthur’s hatred to the whole slave situation, Merlin knew it grated on him having to make himself seem like he was as bad as the rest of them and was bringing Freya out here to indulge in some sort of fantasy. But Merlin slipped his hand into the prince’s and gave it a squeeze.

“It’s alright,” he said softly. “We’re all here now. We can do this.”

“Follow me.” Arthur led the way around the tree line and away from the castle. Merlin followed in silence with Freya. They weren’t walking for long before Merlin realised they had entered a small clearing and were hidden from the castle. Arthur stopped and turned to face them.

“It’s up to you two now,” he said quietly. Merlin could hear the nerves in his voice but could offer no reassurance. His own heart was thudding and he took Freya’s hand gently.

“I don’t know what will happen,” he said. “It was agony when I broke out of mine. I don’t… I don’t know what it will be like for you. Forgive me?”

Freya returned the grip on his hand and cupped his cheek with her free one. “I would rather this killed me than lived the rest of my days never feeling my magic again. I know you understand that. Don’t feel guilty if this goes wrong. Just find a way to help the others.”

“I promise.” Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin could see Arthur backing away to give them space and keep a look out. He sat down cross-legged on the floor and brought Freya down with him, taking both of her hands in his and closing his eyes. Instructing her to do the same, he reached forward with his magic. For a split second, he could feel the brilliance that was her life force, vibrant and beautiful. But then it was as if a curtain had been drawn across that as he encountered the collar and the way it was suppressing her. Fury welled inside him and Merlin knew it would give him the strength he needed for this to work.

Making sure his magic stayed controlled, he continued to reach for the lock. Wrapping his magic around it, he began forcing it. Freya’s hands tightened instinctively and he knew that he was hurting her. But he couldn’t stop. Stopping would mean giving up and Freya had made it clear that he was not to do that under any circumstances. The collar seemed to fight back; Merlin could feel it absorbing his power but refusing to give.

Knowing he was going to have to push harder, Merlin did so. This time, he felt a slight nudge, a give in the power. He had wedged his own magic in it, undermining the lock.

“Now,” he grunted, hoping he had actually said the word. Freya suddenly whimpered and he knew he had. For the first time in however long, she was using her magic.

Arthur’s explanation might have been confusing, but Merlin could feel it being put into action. He didn’t know how long they sat there for. Every bit of magic Freya used forced the lock a little more. Unlike Arthur’s previous attempts, however, the lock then couldn’t close again – Merlin’s magic was there as a wedge, forcing it to stay open and letting her own power do the work. Soft cries were falling from her and Merlin knew the weaker sorcerers were going to find this agony to do. But it was working.

Suddenly, Freya’s cries turned into a growl and then a roar. Merlin’s eyes flew up open and he gasped at seeing the power burning in her own. They were gold, but calculating and almost animalistic. Instinct made him want to withdraw, but the collar wasn’t off yet. Before he could lurch back, however, Arthur was crouched next to him. One hand was resting on his sword but the other was in the middle of Merlin’s back. The reassuring touch grounded him and he forced himself to ignore the potential danger they were in. Instead, he worked with Freya and pushed his magic forward again, forcing the wedge that little bit wider.

It was enough. In a rush, he felt Freya’s magic lash out and a resounding crack echoed around the clearing as the collar fell from her neck. Instantly, Freya rocked forward onto all fours and a growl once again escaped her throat. Merlin didn’t know what was happening but Arthur was pulling him back before he could react. They could only watched as her body seemed to ripple and before Merlin knew what was happening, thick black fur had sprouted from her back as her hands twisted and morphed into claws.

Within moments, a huge winged cat stood in front of them, watching with hungry eyes. There was a soft sound as Arthur drew his sword, but the cat wasn’t interested. Scents had caught its attention and it turned towards the sky. With a bounding leap, Freya had shot for the skies, swooping overhead and Merlin had tears running unchecked down his face. Arthur planted his sword in the ground – seemingly convinced that Freya was no threat to them – and pulled the warlock into his arms. Forgetting for a moment that Arthur was hurt, Merlin allowed him to do the one thing he had been doing since he arrived here and let himself be comforted by Arthur’s presence.

He wasn’t even sure why he was crying. Regret he had caused his friend pain or sheer and utter delight it had worked. Freya was free. Judging by the way the light from the moon kept being blocked as she swooped and soared overhead, she was never going to be collared again. The animal and magic were free and would never give that up.

“You did it,” Arthur murmured, whispering into his hair. One hand scrunched into the prince’s shirt and Merlin shook his head against his chest.

“You did. You believed it was possible even when it meant risking everything. It’s because of you she is free.”

Arthur caught hold of his chin and tilted his head up. Through streaming eyes, Merlin could just about make out the grin on the man’s face.

“We did it,” Arthur said firmly. Merlin had nothing to say other than to wrap his arms around Arthur’s neck and kiss him. His exhilaration over their success seemed to heighten every one of his senses, not to mention his magic. He could hear Arthur’s heart beating and felt a warmth wrap around them as his magic shielded them from the rest of the world, reacting to the presence of his destiny.

Neither of them slept that night. But Merlin stayed in Arthur’s arms, both watching the skies as Freya enjoyed her freedom. They talked quietly and about trivial matters and Merlin found himself learning more about his supposed master than he had ever known. But as the sun finally tinged the sky, Freya landed. She once again rippled and turned human again. The smile on her face rivalled the sun and Merlin had never seen her look so happy. She dropped to her knees next to him, clasping his hand.

“Thank you,” she said. The look in her eyes expressed how she meant it so much more than words could convey, but there wasn’t a way to say it. Merlin shook his head. He didn’t know what to say and Freya laughed lightly as she brushed away one of his stray tears.

“You should head east,” Arthur said. He untangled himself from Merlin and brushed himself down. “The Druids will find you. You need to get to safety.”

“I will.” Freya also stood. To Merlin’s amusement, she kissed Arthur on the cheek before turning and walking into the forest. Merlin stood.

“You’re blushing.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Pale skin, dark hair… She is your type.”

“Shut up, _Mer_ lin,” Arthur drawled, clearly trying to control his flush. Merlin laughed. The sound was free and full of joy and emotion welled up inside of him.

“If we manage this,” he murmured, stepping closer to Arthur. “This could be our life. We can be together without fear or hiding.”

“I’d like that.” Arthur ducked his head and kissed him. “But now I have to get back to the castle.”

Although Merlin knew it was true, he hated the idea. If it wasn’t for the other slaves, he would have tried to persuade Arthur that they should run away together and leave their troubles behind. But he had a duty to help those still captive and he would never abandon them. He nodded gently and stepped back to allow Arthur to leave.


	27. Chapter 27

“Tell me a secret,” Merlin implored. The sun was filling the clearing and he was content in Arthur’s arms. The prince had tried to walk away, knowing they would be missed at the castle if they stayed for much longer. But he had stopped and looked around. The next thing Merlin knew, Arthur was kissing him. It was a different type of kiss, chaste, gentle and filled with so much promise of a future to come the warlock hadn’t been able to remind him of thinking rationally and instead given into it.

Merlin had always thought their sex was great. But out in the open, with no one to hear them – either to judge as master and slave or report Merlin being there – things were different. His magic filled the clearing and he still flushed when he thought about how he had screamed Arthur’s name when the prince had finally given it to him how he wanted. Arthur’s cloak was spooled around their waists and their legs entangled as they lay on the grass. Their hands were joint together as each battled to hold down the others thumb. But when Merlin spoke, his voice was quiet, afraid to shatter the peace they had found here.

“What sort of secret?”

“One that no one knows.”

“Idiot,” Arthur scoffed. Merlin tried to take advantage of his distraction to hold down his thumb, but Arthur slid free and turned the tables on him. When Merlin finally got the blood flowing again, he kissed Arthur’s jaw.

“Please?”

“Fine.” Arthur shifted and Merlin found himself leaning closer to Arthur’s chest, resting his head contently on the prince’s shoulder. “When I was about ten, I used to sneak down to the stables at night and go for rides, especially when my father had guests. One night I forgot to bolt the stable door properly. The visiting noble had a son, slightly older than me, who was an obnoxious brat. I blamed him.”

“What happened?”

“They left and my father swore we would never trade with such irresponsible people again and he hoped the boy’s father taught him a lesson.”

“He never knew it was you?”

“Have you seen how well I can lie to my father? I started young.”

Merlin smiled, but it was filled with sadness. There had been nothing but honesty between him and his mother, even the times it had caused arguments and tears. To know that Arthur had never had that sort of relationship with his father made Merlin’s heart ache for him. But he didn’t blame Arthur… Uther wasn’t a good man, let alone a good father.

“Your turn.” Arthur prompted, once again holding down Merlin’s thumb. Merlin thought for a moment. A year or so ago, his secret would have been his magic. Very few people in Ealdor knew about it. But now it was common knowledge - the village, the Druids and all of Camelot knew him to be a sorcerer. It seemed only his mother and Arthur understood he was a warlock; far more powerful than any of the others.

“I don’t know who my father is,” he settled for saying quietly. Arthur stiffened beneath him. “Never have done.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“That’s why it is a secret,” Merlin muttered, poking Arthur in the ribs. But his actions and words were half-hearted. He didn’t want people knowing it. Being a bastard was just another label to add to himself and he didn’t want others getting the wrong idea about his mother.

“I didn’t want to ask,” Arthur admitted. “You got so upset when we talked about your mother. I thought perhaps he had died.”

“He might have done. I don’t know. I don’t even care, he left us!”

It had been a long time since he had felt angry about his father’s actions. Not since he had been a small boy. Then he had realised he had everything he needed with his mother. Arthur’s hand rubbed soothingly down his arm and the prince held him a little tighter, calming him.

“He might have had his reasons.”

Merlin scoffed bitterly and Arthur put a finger under his chin, tilting his head back until Merlin had no choice but to look him in the eye.

“Don’t hate someone you don’t know,” the prince said softly. “There are enough people you do know that deserve your hatred far more.”

“How long have you hated your father for?” Merlin hadn’t thought about it before. But Arthur’s secret had revealed he had never seen eye to eye with the man and Merlin wondered how deep those wounds ran. Arthur shrugged.

“I had a friend from the lower town when I was a young child. My father had him killed when he found out. I swore I would avenge him. I said it publically as well. He had one of the knights spank me for that. But I guess by the time I was old enough to understand what I meant, I understood what was happening with Nimueh and the others. It just fuelled my anger towards him.”

“Do you hate him?”

“Yes.” Arthur said definitely, then he glanced away. “No. Maybe. I don’t know. I want to stop him. I’m furious with him. But he’s still my father, still the only parent I have. I hate him, but deep down part of me still loves him. It makes me weak.”

“It makes you human,” Merlin said. He had wondered if that was the case, but he wasn’t even sure Arthur had realised it himself until now. “It makes you strong. Part of you doesn’t hate him and yet you still want to stop him.”

“I just don’t know what happens to him when we do.”

Silence fell between them. Merlin had no idea what to say. He would see Uther dead for the amount of lives he had destroyed and the pain he had put the slaves through. It wasn’t even personal. But his feelings for Arthur meant he couldn’t wish Uther dead if part of Arthur still cared for his father. If things were feeling this complicated for him, he had no idea what they must be like for the prince.

“We should get back,” Arthur eventually said, his voice heavy with regret. Merlin sighed but didn’t protest as Arthur slid out from behind him. The prince was gentle as he lowered Merlin to the ground before looking around for his clothes. Merlin simply lay there. When Arthur glanced his way, he smirked and tweaked the cloak accordingly.

“No. We need to get back.”

“Who knows what will happen when we get back.”

“It’s nearly mid-day.” Arthur protested, glancing at the sun as he did so. Merlin lifted an eyebrow.

“Better be quick then.” He didn’t want to end their time together thinking about Uther and the uncertainty of their future. Once they made it back to the castle, he knew everything would change. No matter what the outcome might be for him, Merlin wanted to make sure they had these memories; times of being just two young lovers rather than being caught up in a destiny too great for them. Arthur looked like he was going to resist, so Merlin spread his legs and that solved the matter.

His knees bent towards his chest and his head thrown back, Merlin gasped as Arthur entered him swiftly. But then he shoved Arthur backwards, rolling with him so the prince never slipped from his body. When Arthur was flat on his back, Merlin tensed, rose and slammed himself back down again. Arthur’s hands instantly found his hips and Merlin rolled them accordingly. As the speed and their breathing sped up and became more erratic, he took one of Arthur’s hands and guided it to his own cock. Arthur looked up at him and smiled as he gripped. They had come so far since the last time they had been in this position in the forest and this time, there could be no doubt in Arthur’s mind that it was as real for Merlin as it was for him.

When Arthur finally got dressed properly, Merlin was still trying to catch his breath. He was reluctant to give up Arthur’s cloak but knew he had no choice. Pouting, he found his own clothes and watched as his prince walked back towards the carpet. Even from a distance, Merlin could see the way Arthur’s hair was sticking up where Merlin had gripped on at some point during their love making. The guards would have no reason to question what Arthur had been doing in the forest, that was for sure. Merlin just hoped that it wasn’t the same ones from the previous night. He hoped no one questioned where Arthur’s partner was.

With Arthur out of sight, Merlin sat down cross-legged and spent a few moments focusing his breathing. He felt calmer out here, much better than being surrounded by stones. Nature helped his magic to connect and he felt as if his power was growing the longer he was out here. He needed it too; he needed to be as strong as he could if they were to get through this.

Thinking about what Arthur had said about his father made Merlin frown. While Uther was alive, he would always be a threat. He was never going to change – the fact that he hadn’t in Arthur’s lifetime was a sign enough of that. Merlin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, not moving to find his boots but instead letting the dirt scrunch beneath his toes.

All he wanted was for someone to help them.

 _“Come to me, young warlock._ ”

The voice made him jump. Merlin stared around. There was no one there though. He knew there wouldn’t be; the voice had come from within his mind.

“Who are you?”

“ _Someone with more answers than you have questions. Come to me.”_

“But how can I find you?”

“ _Return to the castle and you will know your path._ ”

Merlin slowly stood up. He tried calling out a few times, but the only answer was a few birds taking flight with indignant squawks. How could someone with enough power to help them be in the castle? It made no sense. Arthur had made it quite clear he was the strongest slave in Camelot – could it be that he was wrong? That someone else was collared with even more magic than him?

Merlin knew he had no choice but to find out. He quickly pulled on his shoes and ran swiftly to the edge of the forest. After that, it was just a matter of using his magic to ensure the guards were looking the other way while he sprinted towards the tunnel. His leg muscles threatened to cramp and Merlin cursed Arthur for drawing things out for so long. But at long last he was slipping back into the welcoming darkness of the tunnel and scurrying along it. He felt as if he was beginning to get to know the tunnel now and remembered to duck before his head collided with the ceiling.

Once he was out of the armoury, Merlin stopped. He was supposed to be hiding, he couldn’t roam around looking for someone powerful. But he didn’t know where to go. At least, he thought he didn’t. Even while he stood there, a door banged loudly from somewhere to his left and Merlin smiled. Perhaps his path would be revealed to him after all?

Following the noise, Merlin found himself meandering deeper underground as doors opened and candles lit on their own accord. For a moment, he thought he was being led straight to the dungeon. But then a torch flared into life for a second and guided him in the opposite direction. Chills ran down his spine and Merlin knew whatever lay at the end of this corridor didn’t just have magic. It _was_ magic. The power thrummed through his veins even from here and without being entirely sure what he was walking into, Merlin set off down the corridor.

MMM

Arthur had one foot wedged against the wall, leaning his elbow on his knee as he cupped his chin and stared out of the window. He knew it would take Merlin longer to reach the castle, unable to waltz back in the way he had. It had given him time to wash and clean up. While his appearance had made it obvious what he had been doing, he didn’t want others to find out. He refused to be judged in the same way as his father, either by nobles or the common people.

It was only lunchtime, but Arthur was tired. Not just because of what they had been doing. He was tired of the pretence, tired of pretending that he was a dutiful son even while his back twinged at him and reminded him of what his father had done. Not only to him but what he had tried to do to Merlin. How he treated those he thought were below him. Running a hand through his hair, Arthur sighed and leant his head against the coolness of the window. He felt flushed and a little ill, but he knew it was only stress getting to him. He had to focus, to work through this. After all, it wasn’t his life on the line, but every slave in the kingdom.

Moving away from the wall, Arthur forced himself to pull it together. He pulled on his boots and picked up his sword. A session down at the training grounds would help him to regain his strength and hopefully deflect any questions about where he had been all morning. He buckled it on, feeling self-confidence and determination slot back into him as he passed the belt around his waist and secured it. He was a prince. People were depending on him. He didn’t have time for this self-pity filling his mind right now.

Already feeling better, Arthur moved towards the door. His fingers had just brushed the handle before it burst open.

“What’s wrong?” The words slipped from him almost before his brain registered it was Merlin standing in front of him. The warlock was flushed, wide-eyed and Arthur honestly couldn’t tell if he was terrified or excited.

“There’s a dragon,” Merlin said, forcing his voice to be calm. “Under the castle.”

Arthur stared at him. “Don’t be insane.”

“Come with me.”

Arthur didn’t have the chance to protest before Merlin had taken his hand and was pulling him out of his room. Arthur didn’t need to remind him to be careful; Merlin knew where the patrols roamed at this time of day and took him on a circular route to avoid detection. Only once did they hear boots heading their way and Arthur flattened them against the wall until they had faded again. But Merlin didn’t notice. He just pulled Arthur along as soon as the prince stepped away again.

As the corridors gave way to stairs and then the stairs sloped down into tunnels below the castle, Arthur shivered. They had turned away from the dungeons, but there was the same chill to the air. The same sense of imprisonment clung to him and he eyed the corridor nervously.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” His voice sounded small and Merlin squeezed his hand. He didn’t answer though but carried on. Arthur wasn’t sure he had ever been down here. There was a feeling of foreboding, something warning him back. But he couldn’t turn, not with Merlin’s hand in his and so he stumbled forward. He trusted Merlin, that was going to have to be enough.

But when they emerged onto a cliff ledge looking out over a large cavern, Arthur gaped. He had explored the castle thoroughly when he was young. Yet he had never come across this before – and he knew it was the sort of thing that he would remember. He opened his mouth to say something, only for the words to die in his throat as the air thudded around him. Something huge was moving and the pressure almost drove Arthur to his knees. One hand found the wall to support himself and the other rested over the hilt of his sword, letting go of Merlin’s hand in order to do so. Something brushed across his face and when Arthur looked again, he could have sworn he was dreaming.

Merlin was right. Under the castle, under his _home_ , there was a huge dragon. And Arthur had had no idea. The creature settled itself on a rock opposite them and Arthur caught sight of a length of chain swinging beneath. No wonder this place felt like the dungeons; that was exactly what it was.

“The other side of the coin. The Once and Future King. Your destiny, young warlock.”

“Excuse me?”

Merlin was biting his lip, waiting for Arthur’s reaction. The prince knew Merlin must have already spoken to the creature, it was obvious by the look in his eye. But while there was fondness in the creature’s tone as it addressed Merlin, Arthur detected it didn’t feel the same way about him.

“Gaius was right,” Merlin whispered. He took a step closer to the edge of the ledge. “My magic did react to you. He -,” he glanced at the dragon -, “said it is my destiny to help you become the greatest king that this land has ever known. That you wouldn’t be able to do it without me.”

Arthur knew why Merlin sounded awe-struck. Up until now, he had been seen as a slave. It was true he was going to help Arthur free the others, but Merlin didn’t know his true place. Now, it seemed, it was by Arthur’s side.

“How do you know who I am?” He demanded of the dragon. He had told Elyan he would force Merlin to leave and send the slaves out to him. It had worked with Freya and Arthur had no reason to doubt it wouldn’t work again. But getting Merlin to leave before would have been hard. Now it was going to be impossible.

The dragon seemed to rumble and after a moment, Arthur realised it was laughing at him. He refused to flush. Instead, he straightened up and kept his hand on his sword.

“If you do know who I am, then you should show me some more respect.”

“Respect is earned, Pendragon. Your father has tainted your name and until that taint is removed, you have no right to demand it.”

“He is no father of mine,” Arthur spat. Anger coursed through him. He had meant what he had said to Merlin in the forest. He didn’t know how he felt about Uther anymore. But even if part of him did still care for the man, the days had long gone when Arthur was happy about calling himself Uther’s son. The dragon blinked and his anger seemed to fade at the same time. He settled down on the rocks, watching them closely.

“Do you know why the warlock could free himself?”

“He’s strong,” Arthur said. He relaxed his grip on his sword. If the dragon wanted to fry or eat them, then a slender piece of steel was not going to make any difference. Besides, Arthur thought he would have done it by now if that was to be their fate.

“The strongest. He is no sorcerer. The magic runs in his blood, in his soul. He is magic. He cannot be parted from it no matter how your father might try.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Arthur took a step forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin made a small movement. Arthur had nearly forgotten that he was there.

“You cannot do this without him. That your paths lie together is but the truth.”

Arthur swallowed. Somehow he had the feeling that the dragon had known he was going to try and send Merlin out of Camelot. And he was telling Arthur in his own way that particular course of action could not happen.

“Can you wait for me upstairs?” He asked Merlin softly. The warlock opened his mouth to respond and Arthur kissed him gently. “Please?”

Merlin looked between Arthur and the dragon. “Don’t eat him,” he muttered before walking out. Arthur had the feeling that the creature hadn’t been as kind about Arthur when Merlin had first arrived down here. When Merlin’s footsteps died away, Arthur turned his attention back to the dragon.

“He cannot stay here. My father has taken a personal interest in him.”

“I know. His soul bares the scars of encounters he should never have experienced.”

Arthur flinched. “It’s why he has to leave. This is going to get even more dangerous than it already is and I’ve already proven I cannot protect him.”

The dragon laughed again but Arthur forced himself to hold its gaze. He was not going to be intimidated but it didn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when the dragon engulfed him in a cloud of smoke.

“Have you not considered, little king, that it is him who protects you? His magic was created for you, his destiny is to protect you. Your words and weapons are admirable but pointless.”

“It’s pointless trying to keep him safe?”

“It will be.” The dragon’s voice had softened. “When magic is free again, your weapons will not help you. Only he can. He must remain here.”

Arthur stared. He hadn’t thought of that. All he had considered was freeing the slaves, not what would happen next. Some might see him as just as much of a threat as his father and Arthur knew the dragon was right. Against a magical attack, he was defenceless unless he had magic on his side as well. He sighed. The task seemed bigger than ever.

“Take heart, young king. It is your destiny to unite the lands of Albion and for magic to flourish under your reign. You will not fail.”

“Is he really strong enough?” Arthur asked. It didn’t matter if he would succeed or not. If Merlin couldn’t release the collars, they would be killed before they got anywhere. Arthur had seen the effort it had cost him to release Freya. But he also knew Merlin and he knew the man would not stop even if it was putting him in potential danger. But the dragon blinked a lazy eye.

“He is. But he needs you. He needs your strength to keep him on the right path. He needs you by his side as much as you need him.”

Arthur nodded. He turned to leave, knowing there was nothing more to be said right now. The dragon, however, was not finished.

“When you have freed the slaves, I have asked him to free me.”

Arthur stopped. He slowly looked back and glanced at the chain holding the creature. “Surely his magic isn’t strong enough for that? I mean, if yours isn’t….”

“His is. It’s in his blood.” The dragon turned his head and settled down again. Arthur froze.

“What do you mean?”

“What I said, little king. Now go before you are missed.”

Arthur tried to get an answer out of the creature. But the dragon remained silent and eventually Arthur left. Merlin was leaning on the wall outside, waiting for him. Without hesitating, Arthur pulled him into his arms and held him close. Merlin must have felt him trembling, for he let a soft laugh, pulled back and traced Arthur’s cheek with his fingertips.

“What is it?” He said softly. Arthur looked at him, looking into his eyes and sighed.

“I think he knows who your father is,” he admitted. Merlin’s expression was shocked and he turned back towards the entrance of the cave.

“But…”

“He won’t say anything now.” Arthur slipped an arm around Merlin’s shoulders and guided him out of the cave, having to put pressure behind his action to make Merlin actually move. “But I swear we will find out.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. Life has got in the way a little bit at the moment.

“Let me go back down there. I won’t be long. I can talk to him.”

“No.” Arthur was sitting at his table with his feet up and a goblet in his hand. Merlin was pouting at him from across the table, perched on the edge of his chair. Arthur wondered how long it would take before he fell off.

“Arthur…”

“Merlin, I said no.”

Merlin frowned but to Arthur’s amusement, he stayed where he was. The door was locked but only as a precaution to stop others from walking in. Merlin had powerful magic. He was free with said magic. And yet he was sitting here sulking just because Arthur had told him he couldn’t go somewhere. It was as if he didn’t realise if he truly wanted to walk out, there wasn’t a lot Arthur could do to stop him.

Swinging his feet down, Arthur placed his cup on the table and walked towards Merlin. His fingers slid through the hair at the back of his neck and he exerted just enough pressure to tilt Merlin’s head back so he could kiss his nose.

“I can distract you if you like?”

“I don’t need distracting. I need answers,” Merlin whined. Arthur couldn’t blame him. He had always missed his mother, especially considering his relationship with his father. But at least he had known who she was. Finding out that the dragon might be able to hint towards Merlin’s heritage was clearly more than the warlock had ever wished for. The fact that a magical creature knew – and considering what he had said about Merlin’s power – indicated there could indeed be other reasons for his father leaving.

“The guards are back from searching the forests for you. They patrol the castle at night. Even more so since my father lost you. You won’t get down there without being seen.”

“Arthur…”

“No. If you want to help free the other slaves, you need to stay safe.”

Merlin sighed but Arthur could feel the tension leave him. He perched on the edge of the table and cupped his cheek.

“When this is over, I swear to you we will find out what he knows.”

“How can there be a dragon under the castle?” Merlin mused, sighing as he tilted his cheek into Arthur’s touch. Arthur smiled but before he could think of drawing Merlin into a kiss, there was a knock at his door. Arthur looked at Merlin, watching his eyes go wide with fear. He stroked his cheek briefly with his thumb before standing and motioning for Merlin to head towards the servant’s room.

“Who is it?” he called. He had tried to pretend to be submissive to his father after the flogging. He didn’t know if it had worked or not. But his father had stopped turning up unannounced, clearly believing that his son had nothing to do with Merlin’s escape. Arthur wondered if the man had even realised Merlin had overcome the collar on his own.

“Elyan, Sire.”

Merlin stopped in his tracks and Arthur moved across the room to unlock it. The blacksmith slipped in, smiled and nodded at Merlin before standing awkwardly by the table. Arthur gestured for him to sit, doing the same himself. Merlin returned to his side, taking Arthur’s hand as he leant against the chair.

“There is a clear path out of the lower town into the forest,” Elyan begun. “I’ve located enough people who are sympathetic that are willing to help.”

“No. The less involved, the better. This is treason, after all.” Arthur wanted to free the slaves more than he could say. But he didn’t want others getting hurt in a fight that had never been anything to do with them. To his surprise, Elyan looked at him steadily.

“I don’t think your father is going to be worrying about individual commoners when this is over.” His voice was quiet and steady. Arthur swallowed. He was right. Uther’s kingdom would be crumbling when slaves started going missing.

“We need all the help we can get,” Merlin said. His voice was as soft as Elyan’s and Arthur sighed. Reluctantly, he nodded his permission for Elyan to continue.

“And I’ve been speaking to Lancelot. He’s managed to find a few individuals that aren’t as closely monitored by their masters. If anyone is going to be able to escape without arousing suspicion, it’s them. If we free them first, we’ll have people in the forest ready to help. We’re going to need to move quickly.”

Arthur was staring at his table but listening intently. This was it. He knew once things were set in motion, there was no stopping them. There couldn’t be. Right now, Merlin was the only one strong enough to break the collars off. Every day that passed increased the risk of him being seen or caught. If that happened, it would all be over. He slowly nodded.

“Where shall I break the collars off? You heard how much Freya cried out. Where can we get away with making that sort of noise and not drawing every guard in earshot?”

Arthur could feel Elyan watching him closely. Merlin’s question was meant in innocence. But Arthur knew this was the part of the plan he had been keeping from him.

“The forest,” he said evenly. Merlin’s grip tightened on his hand.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“We can’t do it in the castle. It’s too dangerous. I need to stay here to make sure my father doesn’t suspect and help them out through the tunnels. Elyan can guide them to you and you can free them and take them to the Druids.”

“No, Arthur. We’re supposed to be doing this together.”

“We are.” Arthur felt helpless. Elyan was studying the fireplace with great interest. “We just can’t be in the same place.”

“That’s not together.”

“It’s not possible to do it here.”

“It might be,” Merlin said. Arthur could practically hear him thinking. He shot him a look but then turned back to Elyan.

“I’ll send the first one through in the morning. Be ready.”

Elyan nodded his understanding and stood up. Silence fell across the room as they waited for him to leave and Arthur carefully locked the door behind him.

“Merlin…”

“I am not doing this without you there.” There was heat in his voice and tears in his eyes. Arthur forced himself to look away. He couldn’t give in to this. This was his way of getting Merlin out of the castle. Once he was with the Druids, he would be safe. Arthur couldn’t deny that he wanted the man by his side, but he also refused to see Merlin hurt.

Arthur took a step back into the room, reaching for Merlin. Merlin moved backwards.

“No, Arthur. You don’t get to choose this without me. I needed you there when we freed Freya. I couldn’t have done it without you there to ground me.”

“They aren’t all going to turn into winged cats.” Arthur tried to smile, to get Merlin to relax. The warlock shook his head.

“No, they might be something far worse.”

“Damnit, Merlin, I need you safe.”

“Arthur.” Merlin moved closer, taking his hand. Arthur was tense. Merlin led him across the room and forced him to sit on the edge of the bed. Arthur went down but he didn’t relax. He couldn’t. If he relaxed it might mean that he gave in. He had always thought love would make him weak. Now he knew he was right. He couldn’t resist Merlin looking at him like that. But it was also love that was forcing his lips shut and his heart to stay resolved. Merlin could not stay here any longer.

“The last time you tried to protect me, he could have killed you.” Merlin’s words were soft and he knelt in front of Arthur. “But I’ve thought of a way I could stay here.”

“How?” Arthur was glad Merlin ignored how clipped his tone was. Arthur had spoken to him far worse during their time together. Right now, it was his way of controlling himself and luckily the other man seemed to realise that.

Merlin looked up at him, biting his lip. Arthur knew the warlock wasn’t sure what he was about to say. But Merlin took a breath and said it anyway.

“We free Nimueh first.”

“ _What?”_ Arthur had never told Merlin what happened when his father had sent Nimueh to his chambers. He knew it wasn’t his fault; she had drugged him. But he didn’t want Merlin being hurt by it any more than necessary. Not to mention Arthur didn’t particularly want to talk about it himself, he was too ashamed. He had been drugged… but he also felt like he could have fought harder.

“She might have the strength to help free the other slaves. If we can move quickly, your father can’t stop us.”

“He could kill you.”

“How? If both of us are free, we will have enough magic between us to protect each other. This could all happen, right here in the castle.”

“I don’t trust her,” Arthur muttered. Merlin looked up at him quizzically, a frown on his face as he stared up at Arthur. The prince felt like Merlin was trying to read his mind, trying to understand the things that Arthur hadn’t yet worked out how to put into words. If only he knew what he was feeling, it would make things so much easier.

“Why? She’s a slave. Just the way I was.”

Arthur shook his head. How did he put into words what had happened? What she had said about having her own agenda and the fact she had always scared him. It wasn’t because she was a slave. It was the look in her eye that seemed to suggest she was exactly where she wanted to be. But Arthur had no proof. Nimueh had come here on his father’s orders and Arthur had no doubt that the king would have told her to make sure she won him over no matter what it took. Merlin would just say she was afraid of disobeying her master. Arthur wouldn’t be able to argue. Merlin had seen his father’s cruelty far more than Arthur had.

But still…

“You didn’t trust me when I first arrived. Don’t pretend otherwise, I tried to kill you several times over. Maybe if she is freed she can help us?”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“Then maybe we should find that out sooner rather than later.” Merlin’s voice was growing in confidence. Arthur knew why. He was weakening. He could see the logic in that plan. It would take Merlin days to free all of the slaves if he was on his own. But Nimueh was powerful – she had to be if she was the king’s own slave. They could speed the whole thing up, get it over and done with.

“Arthur, we can’t leave her collared even if we do her last rather than first. But she might help us. Isn’t it worth the risk?”

Arthur hated himself for doing it. But slowly, he nodded. Merlin was right. Elyan was right. They needed all the help they could get.

“We’ll free her tonight,” he found himself whispering. He only hoped he didn’t regret it. “When my father goes for dinner. I’ll join him, you go and speak to her. I’ll make my excuses and come and join you there.”

“Thank you,” Merlin breathed. He rocked forward and kissed him. It took Arthur a moment before he could respond. He didn’t know if he was doing the right thing considering the warnings in his heart were telling him she was dangerous. But so was Merlin. Merlin’s magic had protected him even when it had been enslaved. Arthur knew it would protect him now.

“We should prepare,” Arthur murmured. His voice was toneless. He wasn’t sure how he should feel. But Merlin’s hands rested on his thighs and the warlock smirked.

“Yes,” he said simply. “We should.”

Arthur knew there would be no preparation or rest for them that afternoon.

MMM

Merlin was nervous. No. He was terrified. There was a tense silence in the room as Arthur dressed to join his father for dinner. He had sent a guard with the message earlier that evening and it had been confirmed that the king would be delighted by his son’s presence. They both knew that was a lie. It was a game. A game of nobility – veiled threats and false pretences. A game that Merlin didn’t understand but Arthur knew how to play.

So the prince had bathed, dressed and left the room. It wasn’t his ceremonial sword strapped around his waist though. Merlin hoped Arthur could hold it together. He knew how the man felt about his father and knew any talk of slaves would have Arthur on edge. But he didn’t have to pretend for long. Just long enough for Merlin to get into Uther’s chambers and talk to Nimueh.

Edging to the door, Merlin peered out. Lancelot had been on duty for Arthur, but had conveniently taken this moment to check the next corridor. It meant he could distract any guards there and no suspicion would fall on him either as he would have an alibi. The corridor was clear and Merlin slipped from it.

He had walked the castle a few times now since being free. But every step he took had him listening intently for footsteps. Every corner he rounded made him freeze in case the guards changed their route. This wasn’t about him this time. Once Nimueh was free, there would be no going back. And there would be no hiding. Not anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin quickened his pace. He had to get there before Arthur. But his legs were trembling the closer he got to Uther’s chambers and he knew terror was gripping at his heart. He was being irrational; Uther wasn’t there. Nothing but pain and humiliation had emerged from those chambers though and Merlin knew it had only been focusing on Arthur’s back and helping the other slaves that had allowed him to get this far without thinking about what had happened the night Uther had decided to break him.

Forcing the thoughts from his mind, Merlin stopped. Carefully peering around the final corner, he sighed when he saw two guards standing there. He wasn’t surprised. Uther was the King of Camelot – if anyone’s door would be guarded, it would be his. Especially considering a slave had slipped out of his chambers. Whispering a word, Merlin rolled the magic off him. A vase in the next corridor suddenly fell of its stand with a crash. Both guards drew their swords and took off at a run. They didn’t suspect magic. They didn’t think they needed to; anyone with power was collared. Once he was sure the coast was clear, Merlin hurried forward.

It only took a whisper on his behalf until the lock on Uther’s door clicked open and Merlin slipped inside. He locked the door behind him. Arthur would signal when he needed to come in. It wasn’t just his legs trembling now he was in the room and for a moment, he wasn’t sure he would make it across to the inner chamber. But that was where Nimueh would be, and that was where he had to go.

He made it across, pausing as soon as he was in. Nimueh was sprawled across the bed but she looked up at him lazily as he walked in. Then her eyes widened and she stared.

“How-?” She murmured. Her eyes were locked on his neck and Merlin smiled as he dropped his scarf.

“I was strong enough,” he said simply. He didn’t know why he didn’t tell her the true reason. How it was the bond that was forged between him and Arthur that had allowed him to use his magic despite being collared. The dragon’s words about their destinies being entwined meant he now believed that was true with every fibre of his being. But Arthur didn’t trust her and that felt personal. Merlin kept it simple.

“And I’ve worked out how to free others. I’m here to help you.”

“You can free me?” Nimueh breathed, sitting up and swinging her legs over the bed. As Merlin nodded, she slowly stood and walked forward, taking his hand. “This is everything I have ever dreamt of.”

“I know,” Merlin said. His skin crawled where she touched him and he withdrew his hand, trying to be sensitive about it. The only times he had seen Nimueh was when he had been with Uther. Fear clouded those memories and it wasn’t fair to take it out on her. But he couldn’t forget the suspicion in Arthur’s expression when they had been talking about her before.

He moved over so he could perch on the edge of the bed, gesturing for her to do the same. “We have to wait for Arthur to arrive. But my magic can form a wedge. Yours can then slip through. It’s going to hurt though.”

“I think I can handle pain.” There was a gleam in Nimueh’s eye, one that Merlin had never seen before. She seemed to be holding back a smile – as if she wasn’t sure whether this would work or not.

“When we first met,” he began hesitantly. “You felt my magic, didn’t you? You told him it was the strongest you’ve ever felt. Is that true?”

She nodded. “Yes. I am more than just a sorceress, Merlin. I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion. Yet your power is greater than my own. You seemed to be destined for much more than the life of a slave.”

This time, Merlin had to fight to keep the smile off his face as he thought about Arthur and his destiny. He nodded.

“Once you’re free, you can return to that.”

“I’m not sure there is anything there for me to return to,” Nimueh said quietly. Merlin didn’t know how to react to that so he stayed quiet. He allowed his magic to fill him up, familiarising himself with his power. As Nimueh was stronger, he hoped it would mean the process was quicker than it had been with Freya. He wasn’t sure they had that much time.

“Your magic is going to react when it feels the freedom,” he explained gently. “I just need you to try and stop it from attacking Arthur or I.”

“Of course.”

Silence fell again and Merlin shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t want to be in here. But his magic was comforting and it wasn’t long before he heard a soft rap on the door. Instantly, magic sprung to his fingertips and the lock clicked for Arthur to slip into the room. The prince locked it again behind him and smiled. Merlin smiled back before glancing at Nimueh. There was something akin to jealously in her eyes.

“You don’t need words?”

“Not all the time. Why?”

“That’s not usual.” Nimueh’s tone was guarded and Merlin found himself glancing at Arthur for support. He had never considered his magic to be different from others before. Then again, before he came to Camelot he had never met another sorcerer. Once here, it made no difference.

“Let’s get this over with,” Arthur said tersely. He took Merlin’s hand. “I feigned a headache and distracted the guards. But my father won’t stay away for ever.”

Merlin shuddered at the mention of Uther and squeezed Arthur’s hand. He shifted on the bed, reaching out towards the collar with one hand while keeping Arthur close to him with the other. He was beginning to understand what Arthur had meant by something being not quite right with Nimueh. Merlin wasn’t sure what it was, but something was making him shudder.

“You’ll feel the lock reacting to my magic,” he said quietly. “When you do, you need to imagine yourself breaking it. Your magic will try to backfire, but once it has been forced a little, more can escape. I’ll open the gap wider each time and eventually it should be enough for your magic.”

Nimueh nodded her understanding and Merlin concentrated. It didn’t matter how he felt about the woman personally. She was just another prisoner, another slave victimised by Uther Pendragon. That was enough for a reason for Merlin to wish her free.

When he had freed Freya, he had felt the collar fighting back. It was different with Nimueh. He could slip easily under the lock and almost instantly felt Nimueh’s power forcing it wider open. It seemed she only needed his assistance a touch, for every time Merlin wedged his magic, her own was widening the gap again. It was all he could do to keep up with her.

“Breathe,” a warm voice whispered in his ear. He felt Arthur’s hand on his back and forced himself to suck in an erratic breath. He had been so focused on the magic he hadn’t realised he had been holding his breath. Gritting his teeth, he forced the gap as wide as he could and Nimueh’s magic flooded the area. The crack of the collar breaking rung throughout the room and Merlin pulled back. Panting, he let Arthur support him and watched Nimeuh. Gold had flooded her eyes and her arms lifted. Power radiated from her and as the windows and mirrors in the room broke, she laughed out loud.

Merlin frowned and shifted a bit. He understood the need to release the magic after it being imprisoned so long. She had been collared for far longer than him. But Nimueh didn’t seem to have any trouble controlling her power as she whipped it around the room, destroying furnishings and tapestries alike as she slowly stood up.

She stepped towards Merlin and took his hand. He didn’t have time to react until she was drawing him away from Arthur and kissing him. Merlin’s senses caught up with him and he shoved her back. He hoped it was just her gratitude, but she was calculating as she looked at him.

“With you by my side, we could rule the world. Your power is destined for greatness, you belong at my side!”

“I belong to Arthur.” Merlin said quietly. Only the utmost sincerity was in his voice and he stepped back, standing side by side with his lover again. Nimueh watched them shrewdly.

“Very well. If you will not rule with me, you will watch as I take what is rightfully mine.”

Her hand rose and Merlin mirrored the action.

“You said it yourself, I’m stronger than you. Don’t test me. Leave this place, Nimueh.” Arthur stiffened beside him and Merlin knew he had sounded far more confident than he felt. Nimueh looked to be giving in as her hand lowered a touch. But then there came a noise behind them. The furious rattling of a door and Uther’s angry voice. Merlin’s heart skipped a beat and it was all the invitation the witch needed.

Before he knew what was happening, her magic had lashed out. A solid ball of air caught him in the chest and flung him against the wall. Merlin’s head caught against the stonework and he slipped down, dazed.

“Merlin!” Arthur’s voice sounded a long way away but the prince never reached him. Merlin forced his eyes to focus and instantly felt sick. Nimueh was burning with power and even as Arthur struggled to reach him, she was drawing the prince back again, forcing him towards the bed. Arthur had been right all along. Nimueh was dangerous.

Merlin tried to get his magic to come to his master’s defence, knowing Arthur was helpless against her power. But even as the magic rose up inside him, Nimueh shot another spell at him. Merlin’s magic formed a slight shield, but it wasn’t quick enough. Nimeuh’s spell brushed straight through it and although it might have reduced the impact, Merlin grunted as pain ripped through his body.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Arthur’s terrified expression.


	29. Chapter 29

“Merlin!”

Arthur thrashed against the power holding him back. He could feel his feet sliding on the polished floor, drawing him back even as he strained to get to Merlin. His eyes were locked on the fallen man, sighing in relief when he saw that Merlin’s chest was rising and falling even if his eyes were closed and he was slumped. For a moment, Arthur wasn’t sure why he was relieved. But as Merlin breathed again, he knew. The warlock would wake up from being unconscious. His collision with the wall had been hard and Arthur had feared the blow to his head would have killed him.

“He will be fine.” Nimueh’s voice was cold. She didn’t care. Arthur forced himself to stop thinking about Merlin’s predicament and instead think about his own. He was still being moved back across his father’s floor and no matter what he tried, he couldn’t break free. Arthur stopped struggling. He could feel how strong Nimeuh’s magic was and knew he wouldn’t be getting out of this alone. Struggling was just using up strength. He was better saving it so he could lash out when she was least expecting it.

But that didn’t stop him from tensing when his knees hit the bed. He fought to stay upright and eventually, Nimueh threw a ball of air at him. It was gentle compared to Merlin’s, but still enough to send him toppling backwards. The weight stayed on his chest, pinning him down as Nimueh moved him further on. Before Arthur could say anything, his hands and feet were tied to the posts of the bed.

“What are you doing?” He hissed, anger coursing through him. Nimueh stared down at him, an unreadable expression on her face.

“It is nothing personal, My Lord. But your father has failed to give me what I want. You’re my only option now.”

“What do you want?” Arthur’s mind was reeling. His father was the reason she had been collared and kept as a slave for years. How could she possible want anything from either of them? Nimueh shook her head softly. She waved her hand over Arthur’s body and he tried not to flinch as his clothes disappeared. But then he realised he couldn’t flinch. Even with his hands and feet tied, there was still pressure resting over the rest of his body. He was completely immobile, totally at her mercy. Arthur had never been scared before, not even when his father had had him flogged. But terror gripped him now. Without Merlin, he had nothing against her.

The door suddenly splintered as Uther kicked it open and charged in. Arthur could roll his head just enough to watch his father take in the sight in front of him. Hatred and fury sprung to life in his expressions when he caught sight of Merlin’s crumbled form. But then he turned towards the bed and that expression only intensified.

“Let him go,” Uther snarled. He drew his sword and advanced towards the bed. “You treacherous whore. Release my son.”

Arthur could feel himself straining against the magic as he watched what was going on. Nimueh was standing next to the bed and Arthur knew she was far too close to him. Never mind the magic, she could reach out and strangle him if she wanted and there would be nothing he could do about it. His father had stopped. The same thought had obviously made itself known to him and he didn’t know whether to advance or not. Arthur looked to Merlin. He was completely still.

Nimueh suddenly started laughing. “You think this is my doing?” She gestured towards Merlin. “You think I hid him?”

“You-,” Uther never got the chance to finish his sentence. Another pulse of magic was shot from the witch and Uther was pinned back against the wall. The sword fell from his grasp, clattering loudly to the floor. Her eyes burning, Nimueh stalked towards him. Judging by the way his father gasped, Arthur knew she was constricting his chest.

“Oh Uther.” Her voice was mocking and cold. Her time as a slave certainly hadn’t broken her. Arthur’s previous thought of believing Nimueh was exactly where she had wanted to be resurfaced. It didn’t comfort him, but sent trickles of dread down his spine.

“The boy freed me. Came bursting in here with all his good intentions and released the collar around my neck. Your son helped him. You want a treacherous whore? You’re looking straight at him.”

Nimueh gestured towards the bed and Arthur tried to buck up. He didn’t look away though. Instead, he held his father’s gaze. He could see the instant Uther believed what Nimueh was saying. It was as if a light had gone out in his eyes. He didn’t look angry. He looked hollow and sad. Uther might have suspected his son didn’t agree with the slavery. But Arthur knew he had never considered that his prince might do something about it.

“I-,” Arthur choked. Nimueh laughed cruelly even as the gold faded from her eyes again. It felt as if she had just stuffed a wad of something in his mouth. His jaw was locked and his tongue pinned. He couldn’t speak. He coughed, struggling to breathe for a moment before forcing himself to calm down. Mutely, he watched what was happening in front of him.

Nimueh sidled up to his father and kissed him. There was nothing Uther could do about it. “Now you can watch as I take from your son what you should have given me years ago.”

Uther frowned. In a twisted way, it made Arthur feel better. The king had no clearer idea what she was talking about than Arthur did. But he twisted under the magic as Nimueh moved back towards him. In one fluid movement, she was up on the bed and swinging a leg over him. She took him in hand.

“Come, now, Arthur. We had such fun before.” Her fingers were working and her wrist twisting. Arthur could feel that he wasn’t reacting. He shook his head, straining to get away. Nimueh sighed, holding out her hand. A flash of her eyes later and Arthur saw the same bottle as before fly into her hand.

“What do you want?” Uther bellowed. Arthur turned his head away, straining his neck as he tried to make it as hard as possible for her to drug him. He had lost all sense before and knew if she got that down his throat, he would be even more helpless than he was right now. Nimueh ignored the king, prising at Arthur’s jaw with sharp fingers, forcing his mouth open. It didn’t matter what he tried, Arthur couldn’t do anything to stop her from tipping the contents into his mouth. The magic holding him down had increased but Nimueh’s touch was gentle as she stroked his throat, encouraging him to swallow. Arthur tried to resist, but she was manipulating his body too well and he only held out a few moments before he swallowed. Smug, Nimueh glanced at Uther.

“I want the heir I should have had years ago. With the blood of kings and my magic, any child of mine will be unstoppable. I will take your kingdom and no one will be able to stop me. My child will be the heir to the throne. Magic will flourish.”

Arthur ignored the way his body was reacting, trembling against the magic holding him down as it throbbed with lust. She was mad. He had always had his suspicions, but she had clearly been able to hide it well. He looked first to Merlin, but the warlock was still out cold. Then he dared look at his father and could see the same confusion, anger and slither of fear in the king’s eyes. She was mad and she had magic. She had them trapped and Arthur knew there was nothing he could do about it.

He gritted his teeth as she lined herself up again. He was glad he couldn’t speak. He wouldn’t humiliate himself further by letting sounds slip from him that only Merlin had the right to hear. He stared at the canopy above his head as she moved. He tried to blank his mind, tried to think of the most repulsive things he could to stop his body reacting the way it had before. Considering her grunt of frustration, Arthur knew it was working. But she still felt good and the tonic was just as strong as before.

“Arthur can’t give you what you want.” Uther’s voice was quiet. Nimueh paused and looked over. Arthur followed suit. She sneered.

“He might prefer the boy but even he can’t resist this.”

“True. But it still won’t work.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you really think it’s just bad luck you haven’t yet had a child? After the amount of times I’ve fucked you?” Uther’s tone was quiet and Arthur shivered. This was the man the slaves saw; someone to be feared. Nimueh stilled, her body quivering on top of his.

“What have you done?” She whispered. If they weren’t in this position, Arthur would have felt a flicker of sympathy towards her. There was genuine fear in her voice and he couldn’t blame her. Despite being pinned to the wall, Uther looked confident.

“I’ve been drugging you for years, witch,” he spat. “You have no more chance of conceiving a child than I do.”

Nimueh froze. It felt like the longest few seconds of Arthur’s life. She was still trembling, but he had a feeling it wasn’t fear.

“ _NO!”_

The scream was pure rage. Anger and fury unleashed as the room went dark and cold. The curtains were pulled back though and there was just enough moonlight to give Arthur a view of what was going on. Nimueh climbed off him and stood in the middle of the room. Magic whipped through the air, streaks of gold burnt through nothing as the anger burnt through her. Arthur could feel the weight holding him down increasing and he couldn’t move. He could barely even breathe.

All he could do was watch as Nimueh raised one hand. His father’s sword followed her movement, spinning slowly in the air. Uther held her gaze, his own expression burning with triumphant. No doubt he knew there would be no way out of this but knew he had once again denied her a future. As the sword picked up momentum, Arthur also realised what was about to happen.

He pulled against the magic and the ties holding him down, but it was no good. There was absolutely nothing he could do as the sword suddenly shot forward. It was faster than any movement a human could make and Uther didn’t even have time to flinch until it was embedded in his heart.

Arthur gasped. Somehow, the sound escaped him. Not daring to blink, he stared as his father’s eyes blinked once, twice and then fell shut. Uther slumped but the force had been too strong – the sword was lodged in the wall and the body remained hanging. Arthur could feel bile rising in his throat and it felt like a hand was squeezing his throat. It wasn’t magic this time. For a long time he had believed he hated his father. But right now, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. If someone had asked him how he felt, Arthur wasn’t sure he would even find the words to explain what was going through his mind. He didn’t know himself.

“Now I have no use for you, little king.” It took a great deal of effort to tear his eyes away from his father’s body. But somehow, Arthur looked back just in time to see Nimueh come to a stop next to the bed. She had produced a knife from somewhere and bent over him.

“You’re a good man, Arthur. You’re not like your father. But I cannot allow you to live.” Her voice was soft. But the knife was sharp as she rested it against his throat. Arthur swallowed but stared up at her. There was no emotion in his expression. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing his fear nor would he show anger. She would get nothing from him. Nimueh pressed the knife a little harder against his skin and Arthur felt the edge of the blade bite into his neck. The blood was hot against his skin, but still he didn’t react.

It had the desired effect. Nimueh paused. She had clearly been expecting him to do something to try and stop her. But it was unnerving her that Arthur wasn’t reacting. The prince had no doubt that his father had always been very extreme with his reactions to anything and the fact that Arthur wasn’t doing anything at all had thrown her off her game.

“Get away from him, Nimueh.” The voice was quiet but strong. Arthur’s eyes flickered to one side to see Merlin was not only awake, but standing. His hands were held loosely by his side but Arthur could practically see his magic. It was making him radiant and powerful. Arthur wondered if it was wrong given his situation that he thought it made the man look beautiful.

“Join me, Merlin. You owe the Pendragons nothing.”

“I owe Arthur everything. I won’t ask you again. Step away from him.”

“Or what?” Arthur held Merlin’s gaze as he felt Nimueh press the knife deeper into his neck. The trickle of blood flowed a little faster. But while he was looking at Merlin, Arthur didn’t feel the pain. He wasn’t afraid anymore. Now that Merlin was awake, he knew that Nimueh wouldn’t have the chance to kill him.

“You know you aren’t strong enough to stop me, boy. Your talent is raw, you’ve had no training.”

“Maybe I don’t need any.”

If Arthur could have moved, he would have shivered at the cold note in Merlin’s voice.

“I won’t warn you again.”

Nimueh didn’t answer. Instead, she lifted the knife from Arthur’s neck. Arthur glanced back towards her and knew she wasn’t buying Merlin’s bluff. She saw Arthur watching her and smirked. Then she brought the weapon slashing down towards him. No doubt she fully intended to bury it in his heart the way she had done to his father.

But the blade never touched him. One second, Nimueh was standing over him. The next, Arthur was staring at the canopy again, feeling his hair standing on end from where Merlin had thrown her back with a powerful blast of magic. He could feel there was a fight going on even if he couldn’t see it. The air was practically vibrating with magic. Power beyond Arthur’s understanding was being thrown around the room. They were battling over him and whether he should live or die. But all he could do was lie there and let it happen.

He turned his gaze back to his father. Merlin had moved out of his sight. There was nothing obstructing the view of the body, slumped against the wall. Blood had stained the front of his father’s shirt but Arthur knew it would have looked a lot worse if Nimueh had pulled the sword out. The body didn’t look like his father. It wasn’t inflated with pride or swelling with hatred. It was an empty shell. Arthur realised in that moment he felt exactly the same. Empty. His father was gone and he wasn’t feeling anything about it.

Hearing Merlin cry out, Arthur strained against the magic holding him down in an attempt to look for the man. Nimueh was chanting strange words and Arthur suddenly realised what she had meant. He had never heard Merlin use magic words before. Arthur assumed he knew a few but he would have never been able to learn. Not the way Nimueh had done. She had risen to her power before any of this had happened. Merlin had always kept his magic a secret. He might be powerful but what if that wasn’t enough?

Arthur fought against his bindings. He refused to lie here as if he was helpless. He was the Crown Prince of Camelot. He was not going to let his fate be decided by others. But Nimueh’s magic was too powerful and she hadn’t relinquished her hold on him even while fighting Merlin. It didn’t matter what Arthur tried, he couldn’t free himself.

But suddenly, he could. The weight was lifted from him even as he heard Nimueh let out a scream. The magic gagging him vanished and Arthur spluttered, trying to breathe properly for a long moment. It was only when he rolled onto his side in order to cough did Arthur realise he had movement again. He jumped up but almost stumbled as his body tried to process what it was feeling.

“Merlin?” His voice was nothing more than a whisper. Merlin was standing, but his back was to Arthur. He didn’t move and Arthur took that moment to pull on his breeches again. The shock of what had just happened seemed to be slicing through the potions effects and he no longer felt as if he was burning up. Instead, he felt as if he was shivering.

 As the warlock slowly turned around, Arthur sighed. Blood was running from his nose and he was deathly pale. For a long moment, neither of them said anything or took a step towards the other. Then Arthur slowly lifted his arms and Merlin practically fell into them. Supporting the warlock’s weight, Arthur lowered them both to the floor. Merlin was trembling although Arthur didn’t know why. He could see Nimueh’s body lying to one side and knew he didn’t need to ask whether she was alive or not. Her magic wouldn’t have released him if she was still breathing. Merlin shook in his arms as Arthur slowly looked away from her again. He wouldn’t grieve for her. But he did feel for her. His father had done this. Had driven her to madness, to believing that taking Arthur by force was the only way she could get what she wanted.

But thinking about his father made Arthur turn his gaze back to the other body in the room. Slowly, he moved from behind Merlin and crossed the room. He never stood though, moving along on his knees and refusing to blink. When he was finally next to the wall, Arthur carefully stood up. He put out a shaking hand, touching his father on the neck. Already the body seemed cold and Arthur wondered how long it had been since the man was properly warm. There was no pulse though. He had known. But there had been a slither of either doubt or hope in his heart that life still clung to the king.

His father was dead.

Grasping the hilt of the king’s sword, Arthur yanked it out of the body. He turned back as Uther fell to the floor, not wanting to see the smear of blood left streaked down the wall. But as he stood here, with his father’s sword in his hand, Arthur felt his chin lift. He knew he would have never been able to lift a hand against his father – although whether it was fear or his duty that stayed his hand, Arthur didn’t know. But while the man had lived, Arthur knew he would never be able to free the slaves. Camelot would never have been a free kingdom under his father’s rule.

Only now, it was his to rule.

“Arthur…” Merlin breathed. Arthur looked down at him and saw that Merlin had shifted until he was on his knees. There was awe in his expression and his eyes were wide. Arthur felt his chin lift higher as his shoulders straightened.

“My king.” Merlin’s voice was nothing but a whisper this time. Arthur stared at him. Then he realised Merlin was right. He hadn’t just lost his father. He had lost the king. And he was the heir.

He was king now.

The thought was a daunting and a terrifying one. Arthur blinked as dizziness washed over him. He swayed slightly on the spot, his hand going limp and the sword falling with a clatter. he didn’t notice Merlin moving until the warlock had suddenly reversed their positions and was the one guiding Arthur to the floor.

“My father…” Arthur murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin said. Arthur believed him. The man wouldn’t be sorry that Uther was dead. How could he be considering everything the king had put him through? But he knew how Arthur felt about the man and Merlin would genuinely be sorry that Arthur was having to go through the conflicting emotions raging through him right now.

“Nimueh…”

“She’s dead.” Merlin gently stroked his hair back, pressing a kiss to his temple. “She wouldn’t back down. She couldn’t let go of her hate any more than your father could.  It was the only way.”

Arthur nodded numbly. Something told him that Merlin didn’t just mean Nimueh. It was the only way they were ever going to free everyone else was if Uther was dead.

“I didn’t mean… I didn’t want…” Arthur didn’t know what he was trying to say. He had never wanted to get his father killed.

“I know. Shh, love. It’s alright.”

Arthur took a moment to lean against Merlin. He could feel Merlin’s heart thudding against him and it was the most reassuring thing he could ask for right now. Just as Arthur began drawing himself up again, knowing they had to react to what had just happened, the door burst open. Three soldiers ran in, all with swords drawn. Quick eyes took in the scene. Before Arthur could react, two had grabbed Merlin by the arms and yanked him to his feet. Merlin didn’t struggle although Arthur knew he could blast the men off him without a second thought. He seemed to be waiting for Arthur. He slowly climbed to his feet.

“Release him.” Arthur wondered if his voice sounded as hollow to the men as him. “The king is dead. His slave murdered him. The man you are holding saved my life. Release him.”

“But he is a slave too…”

“There are no slaves in my kingdom!” Arthur didn’t shout it. He roared it. A deathly silence fell over the room and the guards didn’t seem to know where to look. The two holding Merlin let go and Arthur instantly reached out to take the man’s hand, pulling him back to his side. Merlin stumbled and his gaze was on the floor as he stood next to Arthur, clearly not knowing how he should react.

“Remove her body. Burn it. I want it gone. Send for Gaius to come here. He’ll know what to do with… with…” Arthur couldn’t say it. He couldn’t say that the other body was his father, not in front of the guards. Emotion welled up in his chest and he fought to hold it together. Luckily, one of the guards seemed to sense that he was struggling for he clapped his hands once and the other two sprang into action. By the time they carried Nimueh’s body out, Arthur had a tear running down his face.

“Arthur?” Merlin’s hand cupped his cheek gently as he drew Arthur’s gaze away from the blood stained wall and made him focus on the warlock’s face. “Arthur, look at me.”

Arthur tried to do what Merlin asked. But although his head turned, his eyes didn’t leave the stain.

“Arthur.” There was a commanding note in Merlin’s voice this time. Arthur’s gaze snapped from the wall to his lover’s face. Merlin smiled reassuringly.

“I can’t be king,” Arthur muttered. He was feeling strangely detached from himself. It was as if everything that had just happened had been to another person. Merlin’s thumb softly stroked his cheek.

“You are, Arthur. It is your destiny.”


	30. Chapter 30

“You’ve cracked a rib and you’ve exhausted yourself, but other than that you will be fine.”

“Thank you, Gaius.” Merlin moved across Arthur’s chambers with the old physician. Every time he tried to meet the man’s eyes, he flushed and looked away again. It was strange talking so openly with him now. No longer was he a slave in anyone’s eyes and Merlin knew it would take a while before he would be able to move in the presence of others without feeling the need to hide away. But when they reached the door, he glanced back at Arthur.

“What about him?”

Gaius followed his gaze and sighed. Merlin suddenly wondered how old he was and what he had lived through. It was written deep into the lines on his face.

“Keep him warm and try and get him to eat something. If he won’t eat, then make sure he drinks something. He’s gone into shock. Seeing his father killed like that…” The old man trailed off, patted Merlin’s shoulder and let himself out. Merlin softly closed the door behind him before turning to look at Arthur. The prince – no, king – was lying on his bed, his back to the door. Merlin wasn’t sure he had moved the entire time Gaius had been in the room but Merlin knew he had been listening intently when the physician had checked him over. After his collision with the wall and then his battle with Nimueh, Merlin was feeling a little worse for wear.

“Arthur?” Moving back across the room, Merlin perched on the edge of the bed and rested a hand on the man’s shoulder. “You need to eat.”

All he received was a grunt. Arthur made no effort to move and Merlin knew he wouldn’t. Every muscle was tense and rigid. Even rubbing his shoulders a little did nothing to make Arthur relax and Merlin knew he wouldn’t until he had started to come to terms with what had happened. As he made to stand – intending on following Gaius’ advice and at least making sure that Arthur drank something – Merlin’s fingers brushed against the man’s neck and he frowned.

“You’re burning up!” He cried, rounding the bed and crouching down. He cupped Arthur’s face and forced him to look at Merlin. “Why didn’t you let Gaius examine you too? You’re ill!”

“M’not.” Arthur’s teeth were gritted and Merlin cursed himself for not noticing how flushed he was before.

“Then what is it?”

Arthur moved a shaking hand and Merlin understood. The shock of the fight had cleared Arthur’s mind but Nimueh had still drugged him. Right now, Arthur was feeling that drug and clearly was attempting to ignore it. Merlin sighed, gently pushing at Arthur’s shoulder until he managed to roll the man onto his back. Firmly pushing Arthur’s hands to one side, he made quick work of undoing his laces. Arthur pushed him away.

“I can help you,” Merlin said softly. “Do you think I want to see you suffering like this, knowing I can help, and just sit here and watch?”

“My father…” Arthur muttered. It was the first thing he had said since they had arrived back here and he had ordered Gaius to be fetched immediately. Merlin sighed, stroking Arthur’s cheek gently.

“You were drugged, Arthur. This isn’t your fault. You can’t help it.” He understood though. Arthur had just watched his father being murdered while dealing with conflicting emotions about the man and the only thing his body was thinking about right now was sex. No wonder he was feeling conflicted. A tear escaped the corner of Arthur’s eye and Merlin gently brushed it away.

“Let me help you,” he murmured. Softly, he kissed his king. Arthur didn’t initially respond, but after a few seconds was kissing him back frantically.

“Please,” he whined into Merlin’s mouth. Laying a blanket of magic over him – not enough to restrict Arthur’s movement but enough to stop him from losing control – Merlin made short work of easing the man’s breeches down. He wrapped one hand around Arthur and used the other to keep cupping his cheek. As he carefully stroked his king to completion, Merlin made sure that Arthur knew how he felt about him through his loving kisses the whole time.

But stroking Arthur off wasn’t enough. Not considering the strength of the tonic. Merlin used his mouth the second time, but by the third, he felt that the desperation had gone. He lost his own clothing, using magic to prepare him as he climbed onto the bed, straddled Arthur and sank onto him. He released the magic holding the king down and let Arthur do whatever he needed to. For a moment, the king managed to control himself before Merlin felt his back hit the sheets as Arthur pounded into him. Merlin let a numbing spell roll from his tongue so that he didn’t feel it in his ribs. He wanted to give this to Arthur as much as Arthur needed it. The king’s brow was furrowed and he was biting his lip in concentration. Merlin cupped his cheek again, trying to stop Arthur from losing himself in this.

Arthur came back to his senses. He slowed down and Merlin found that he was the one sobbing with need as Arthur took him apart. The tenderness of their love making was enough to drive the last of the tonic from his body and Arthur collapsed down next to him when he spilt for the last time. Merlin was panting but let Arthur draw him into his arms.

“Thank you,” the man murmured. Merlin brushed his fingers through Arthur’s hair.

“Any time,” he said quietly. He grinned, trying to break the tension and felt a surge of relief when Arthur smiled timidly back at him.

“I don’t just mean for this.” Arthur continued. He avoided Merlin’s gaze, his voice uncertain. “For everything. For believing that I was a better man than my father.”

“You are, Arthur. You always have been. Everyone knows that.”

“Maybe.”

“No, Arthur.” Merlin moved until he straddled the man. He took Arthur’s hands in his and pressed them into the pillow besides the man’s head, forcing Arthur to look him straight in the eye. “Never doubt it. From the first day you saw me in your chambers, you offered me nothing but kindness. No matter what I did or how many times I hurt you, you always gave me the chance to escape, the chance to live. I fell in love with you. How many people do you think have ever loved your father? Not his power, not his authority or his money. Actually him. Your people love you, Sire.”

Merlin knew that his words had got through to his king when Arthur blushed a little and looked away.

“I just don’t know how I should be feeling,” he admitted. “I swore I hated him. I was adamant that I was going to free the slaves regardless of what it did to the kingdom. I just never considered that he would have to die before I succeeded.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Arthur,” Merlin said quietly. He could understand why Arthur felt like this. His actions in freeing Nimueh had cost his father his life. “She was deluded. There wasn’t any stopping her. I wasn’t strong enough until she threatened you. But my magic was created in order to keep you safe and she couldn’t fight against destiny. It was my destiny to protect you, just like it is yours to become the greatest king this land had ever known.”

“I’m not sure I know how to be king.”

“Of course you do.” Merlin wriggled off the bed and quickly dressed again. He chose to ignore Arthur’s eyes lingering on him as he did so and the fact that he limped ever so slightly when he moved across to the table. He couldn’t feel his ribs or the exhaustion caused by too much magic. But he could feel Arthur.

“You have to start by taking care of yourself.” He reached the table and poured out a goblet of water. Then he piled a plate high with food that Gaius had insisted servants brought yet neither of them had touched yet. Trying to balance it, Merlin moved back across the room and the whole lot almost ended up on Arthur’s lap. Thankfully, the king’s reactions were quick enough that he grabbed the cup before Merlin spilt it. To Merlin’s delight, he took a sip before placing it down.

“You know you have magic,” Arthur said mildly. “You could have just used that to bring it over.”

“That’s being lazy.” Merlin tried to sound firm. But the truth of the matter was that he had forgotten about the magic. He knew it was going to take him a while before he used it without thinking, without fearing that any use of magic – especially when the door wasn’t locked – would have him right back where he started. He clambered back onto the bed and sat cross-legged opposite Arthur before handing him the plate. Arthur stared at it for a moment.

“I…”

“You’re going to need your strength, Sire. Believe me. Getting through a hard time is hard enough. On an empty stomach makes it far worse. I know.”

Arthur looked like he was going to argue before he seemed to deflate and started eating. Merlin lent back on the bed, giving the new king some privacy while he collected his thoughts. But being quiet made him dwell on what had happened himself.

He hadn’t thought Nimueh would have been that strong after being so long collared. Her control was perfect. She had been right; Merlin’s power was raw. He had picked up a few phrases along the way, but most of the time he could act on instinct. That nearly hadn’t been enough. Nimueh’s spells had been complex and Merlin’s shields had barely been strong enough to block her magic. Glancing at Arthur, Merlin knew he was going to have to improve. If it was indeed his destiny to keep the new king of Camelot safe, he wasn’t going to leave it to luck.

But he was in a kingdom where magic had meant worse than death. Who would he be able to find to tech him? Unbidden, the dragon came to mind. Surely he would have to agree to help. Merlin could free him in return, but not until he knew how. And not until he found out what the creature knew about his father. Now that Arthur was king, Merlin knew it was time to find out a few answers about who he was.

When Arthur suddenly swung his legs off the bed, Merlin started. He made to protest before realising that Arthur had eaten. The king washed his face before returning to Merlin and kissing him.

“Thank you.” Arthur said again. Merlin smiled up at him.

“What for?”

Arthur shrugged and Merlin didn’t press it. He looked better now he wasn’t being controlled by lust. The flush had gone from his face and the fact he was mobile was a good sign. But Merlin knew Gaius was right as well – part of Arthur was in shock even if he didn’t admit it to himself. Merlin knew he was going to have to keep an eye on the king.

“Where are you going?” He scrambled off the bed when he realised Arthur had approached the door. Arthur turned and smiled.

“I have messages to send you,” he replied. “First and foremost, I think it is time I asked Morgana to come home now there is no threat to her.”

Merlin’s smile widened and Arthur disappeared out of the door. The next few weeks would be hard, of that he had no doubt. But as long as Arthur focused on some of the positive things that had come from his father’s death, then Merlin was sure he would get through it. If nothing else, a lot of people were now free because of Arthur.

MMM

“You don’t have to do this.” Merlin’s voice was soft but his grip on Arthur’s hand was reassuring. Arthur took strength from it, breathing in deeply as he controlled his emotions. It seemed ironic it was a lesson his father had taught him considering what Arthur was trying to pluck up the courage to do.

“I do.” His voice was just as quiet. He gave Merlin’s hand a squeeze and let go. “You should find something to do…”

“I’ll wait for you here.”

Merlin’s tone was final and Arthur smiled. He wasn’t going to argue against that. He dipped his head and rested his hand on the door handle. It was cold under his touch and he shivered. He saw Merlin shift out of the corner of his eye, but the man didn’t say anything. In a way, Arthur was grateful. Pressing down, he let himself into the vast room beyond and shut the door behind him.

His footsteps echoed as he walked the length of it. A raised platform was on the far side and Arthur kept walking until he reached it. For a long moment, he couldn’t look. Then he forced himself to.

His father’s body had been cleaned and dressed in ceremonial robes. His eyes were shut and his hands folded across his stomach. Right over where Nimueh had driven the sword into him. Arthur didn’t know who dealt with bodies, but they had done a good job. The man looked as if he could be sleeping. Staring down at him, Arthur willed himself to feel something. He thought if he saw him one more time, it would release the grief he was convinced should be controlling him right now. But there was nothing.

As he stood there, Arthur realised he was feeling something. Anger. Hatred. He had thought he had still cared for his father. He had told Merlin as much. But looking at him now, Arthur wondered when any positive emotion had left him. He felt nothing. He had reacted back in his father’s chambers because it had been a shock seeing the man murdered like that. But he wasn’t sorry. Arthur knew the only way for the slaves to be properly free was if the king was dead. Their plan never would have worked while Uther lived.

“You brought this on yourself,” Arthur told the body bitterly. The more he thought about it, the more he could pinpoint the exact moment when he had lost any sort of attachment to his father. The instant Uther had ordered him to be flogged in public for trying to free Merlin. Uther had been so twisted in his hatred and his lust he would have been prepared to kill his own son in order to get his own way. Deep down, Arthur knew that was the moment he had accepted he would have to be prepared to do whatever it took in order to make sure his father’s reign of cruelty ended.

Arthur had anticipated standing there for hours, dealing with emotions that he had never felt before. But he was in control. Indeed, the longer he stood there, the more his chin lifted and the more the shadow his father had cast over him was withdrawn. Uther was gone and with it was his twisted rule. Casting one long look at his father and shaking his head sadly – it wasn’t right for a son to feel nothing at his father’s death – Arthur turned and walked back down the length of the hall. Every step he took made him feel lighter and he felt strong and confident in a way he hadn’t done for years when he opened the doors again.

Merlin had been sitting on the floor, but twisted quickly to look at him. Arthur thought the man would rise, but Merlin stopped and stayed kneeling.

“Sire,” he murmured. To Arthur’s amazement, he bowed his head a little. The new king stretched out his hand to draw him to his feet, but then walked away from his father’s body once and for all without a word. Once they had reached the higher (and warmer) levels of the castle, Arthur spoke.

“I need to gather the knights in the training grounds as soon as possible. Can you get the servants to start sending messages?” He knew Merlin knew the serving staff better than him. Merlin nodded.

“Why?”

“The nobles are going to protest. The slavery ends. Today. I know you can’t free them all today but we can start. You can free as many as you can and we can make sure the others are comfortable and receive any medical attention. I hope the nobles will bow to my wishes but I’m not sure it is going to be that straight forward.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Then they can expect to lose all position of authority they hold. I have to give them a chance though, I need their support.”

“I’ll get straight onto it.” Merlin squeezed his hand and darted away. Arthur kept moving, not stopping until he reached the stone steps leading down into the courtyard. Stepping outside, he stopped when he found himself standing in a patch of sunlight. It was warming and strengthening and the young king found it chasing the chill that being in the crypt had left him with. A few people passed below and instantly dipped their heads to him. Arthur nodded back. Word had spread by now of the king’s death even if Arthur hadn’t been officially crowned. It had been a few days since Nimueh had killed him but today had been the first day Arthur had felt ready to face the kingdom.

As the sun gradually began flooding the courtyard, Arthur felt a sense of peace enter his heart. No longer were his actions treasonous, but for the good of all. For the first time in his life, he actually had the power to act on his thoughts without answering to a cruel king. There was so much he wanted to do now he could.

The clatter of feet sounded the knights’ arriving. Arthur stepped back into the shadows, letting them pass him without them realising he was there. He wanted to see how they were responding to the death of their king when they didn’t know they were being watched. They came in twos and threes. Within only seconds, Arthur had his answer. They were happy. It looked as if a weight had been lifted from them and Arthur knew for sure that not everyone had appreciated his father’s iron-fist. There would be a few who had abused their position of authority. But for the most part, Arthur knew he still had a strong garrison under his command.

When the last had moved past him, Arthur stepped forward again and made to follow them to the training grounds. Merlin came running out to join him and shrugged when Arthur shot him a quizzical look.

“I want to watch you in action,” Merlin said bluntly. He held Arthur’s stare as he spoke and his lips twitched into a quick smile. Arthur rolled his eyes but flipped his cloak behind him and strode off. Merlin had spent most of his time imprisoned in the castle one way or another. Who was Arthur to deny him his freedom now? He could hear Merlin following a few steps behind him and Arthur led the way to the grounds. The knights had all assembled there, a few guards milling around the edges as they waited to hear why their king had summoned them. But just before he reached the men, Arthur heard Merlin stop.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the warlock had gone pale as he stared at the group. Arthur attempted to follow his gaze, but he had no idea which man had caused the colour to drain from his lover’s face. Arthur took a step towards Merlin.

“Merlin?”

“What?” Merlin’s gaze snapped to Arthur’s face and the king knew that he hadn’t realised he had reacted so extremely. “It’s nothing.”

“That was not nothing.” Arthur walked closer still, his voice dropping. He knew fear when he saw it. He had seen Merlin’s fear more times than he wanted to admit and he knew something had him terrified. “Tell me.”

He didn’t realise how firm his order had been until Merlin dragged his eyes back to Arthur’s own and seemed to deflate. He took a step closer, clearly seeking some sort of protection.

“He’s here.” Merlin’s voice was a mutter. “The guard from before. He’s the one who took me on your father’s orders as well.”

Arthur turned, scanning the men carefully. After a few moments, he realised who Merlin was reacting to. It was the guard Arthur had caught trying to rape him. It had never crossed his mind that he would still prove to be a threat even after Arthur had had him thrown into jail and Arthur cursed himself for it. His father would have done anything to get his hands on Merlin, including using a man like that. Reaching out, Arthur gently took Merlin’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

“Don’t worry. He won’t ever touch you again.” He knew Merlin believed his words when the man’s eyes filled with tears and he gave a shaky nod. Arthur turned back to his men and anger instantly clouded his expression. His hand curled around the hilt of his sword and in one movement, he drew it. His men parted before him as Arthur stalked forward and it only took him a few steps before he was face to face with the man who had hurt his lover more than once.

Without a word, Arthur thrust forward and embedded his sword in the man’s stomach. There was a collective gasp, but no one dared to speak even as the guard slid off the end of Arthur’s blade and landed in a heap at his feet, lifeless eyes staring up at him.

“My father’s reign is over,” Arthur announced. His voice was strong and unwavering and his shoulders were set. “This man had already been given a second chance. The rest of you are on one now. If I see anyone so much as lay a finger on an individual of a lesser status, you will be joining his fate.”

He sheathed his sword and made a mental note to clean it later. Glancing at Merlin, he saw the look of shock on the man’s face and dipped his head in acknowledgement to him.

“There are no slaves in my kingdom,” he continued. “But there is work to do be done to ensure the freedom of all. I expect each and every one of you to do your duty in order to assist me in making this a strong realm once and for all. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Sire!” The words rang out as one voice. Arthur saw two men slink off to one side, no doubt realising that their position of authority could no longer be used to abuse others. Arthur let them go. As long as the majority of the men were with him, he didn’t care about a few deserters. He had bigger problems to worry about than that. Knowing he still had the trust of his men allowed him to relax for the first time and he smiled.

“Then I want to see ten laps around this field starting now,” he instructed. There was a flurry of movement as capes and swords were removed before the men set off. Several smiled at him and Arthur nodded in return. Then he felt Merlin’s hand slip into his.

“You killed that man for me?”

“I would kill a hundred men for you,” Arthur said earnestly. Not caring that his men could see them, he cupped Merlin’s cheek and drew him in for a kiss. “It is time for a new Camelot and you will be right at the heart of it.”

Merlin’s deep blush meant Arthur knew he had said the right thing.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, at the last chapter. Thank you so much to those of you who have stuck with me throughout this. And an even bigger thanks to those who have left kudos or a comment - it always puts such a smile on my face knowing that people have enjoyed it.
> 
> I hope you like this last chapter! Hopefully be back soon with another!

“By the power vested in me, I now proclaim you Arthur, King of Camelot.”

Merlin didn’t join in the cheers that rang through the great hall. The sound was a joyous one that brought tears to his eyes. The hall was packed, not just with knights and nobles, but with as many commoners as could fit. Arthur had wanted the day to be celebrated by all, not just those in position of power. He got his wish. Merlin had never seen so many people weeping for joy.

But his voice was quiet. He couldn’t shout if he wanted to. The emotions were overwhelming him and all he could do was stand there, his eyes locked on the small part of Arthur he could see through the crowd. When it suddenly fell silent, he knew the new king had risen from his kneeling position and held up a hand for quiet.

“I share this day with all of you here,” Arthur began. His voice was strong and confident. Everyone was enraptured and Merlin knew for sure that he was going to make an incredible king. “But there are somethings that cannot wait for an official council.”

Merlin was sure he wasn’t the only one who heard the intake of breath from somewhere. No one knew what Arthur was about to say and he knew there were several nobles who stood to lose a great deal when their king spoke next.

“My father ruled through tyranny, fear and slavery. Camelot was a strong and righteous kingdom before corruption filtered through and destroyed her. I will restore this kingdom to her former glory and I start here, today. All slaves are to be set free immediately. They shall come to the council chambers where they will be freed from their collars and accommodation will be assigned until they are strong enough to live their own lives.”

Silent met Arthur’s words. Merlin shifted until he could see his king’s face and was relieved to see that he didn’t look worried. Suddenly, someone gave a sob and it was like a tidal wave crashing through the hall as people erupted in noise once again. Merlin found himself jostled by people hugging each other and he knew how far the fear of slavery had spread. Not all those collared were magic and the common people lived in terror they would be next.

As he shifted, Merlin caught a glimpse of Morgana through the crowds. She had returned to Camelot a few days after Uther’s death and Merlin had volunteered to run errands for Gaius while the royals reunited and established what they were to do next now that Uther was dead. But tears were streaming down her face as she looked at Arthur and even from the angle he was at, Merlin could see the pride in her expression. It also didn’t escape his notice that she seemed to be gripping Leon’s hand and Lancelot had his arms around Gwen. Elyan was next to them and he looked resigned but pleased. Merlin smiled.

Then he met Arthur’s eyes. The king had been watching him as intently as Merlin had been examining their friends. There was an unreadable expression on his face and before Merlin could shift again, Arthur was stepping down from the thrones and walking towards him. The crowds parted, watching the king intently, as he advanced towards his lover. Merlin could already feel the heat rising to his cheeks as people stepped back from him and it took every ounce of his self-control not to melt back into the crowds himself. Even in Ealdor, he had taken care to never be in the spotlight.

But Arthur wasn’t giving him much choice. As soon as he could reach, he tugged Merlin into his arms and kissed him. Right in front of his subjects. Merlin knew he had gone scarlet but he grinned into the kiss and returned it. How could he not when Arthur had just guaranteed his safety and everyone like him? When he pulled back, his arms had somehow looped their way around Arthur’s neck and Merlin caught Lancelot’s eye over Arthur’s shoulder. The knight winked at him and Merlin felt the irrational urge to start laughing. He only controlled himself because Arthur spoke again.

“Come with me,” he murmured. Confused, Merlin followed. This was Arthur’s moment and yet he was leading him through the hall and out a small door that Merlin had never seen before. He didn’t say a word and Merlin followed his lead. He found himself in a small room and turned to question Arthur. The king caught his shoulders and turned him back.

Merlin was glad that Arthur kept gripping him. He was sure it was the only thing that stopped him from falling.

“Mother?”

“Merlin.” The tears running down her face echoed his. But Merlin couldn’t move towards her for a moment. Instead, he turned and flung his arms around Arthur. He knew there was only one person who could have been responsible for this.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” His mother’s voice was soft in his ear and her hand on his back was reassuring. Arthur detangled himself from Merlin and the warlock found himself leaning back into his mother’s embrace instead. Ever the charmer, Arthur kissed her hand.

“Arthur, please.”

“Oh! I couldn’t possible…”

“’course you can,” Merlin quipped. Taking his mother’s hand, he grinned at Arthur. “He’s just a prat like most other people.”

“Merlin!” His mother’s voice was scandalised and Merlin finally felt the laugh escape him. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. For a moment, Arthur looked at him like he had gone mad, but then he too started to join in. Eventually, so did Hunith.

“I’ll leave you in peace.”

Merlin nodded his gratitude as Arthur ducked from the room again. He knew the king had other guests to attend to; it wasn’t Merlin’s place to ask him to stay. But he turned and drank in the sight of his mother standing there. She met his eyes. Very slowly, he hand rose until she reached for the scarf on his neck. Merlin knew what she wanted to know. With a smile, he reached up himself and untied it, letting it flutter to the floor. Apart from a small scar where the collar had cut into him and a strip of white skin where it had been starved from the sunlight, there was no other mark that he had once been a collared slave.

Tears flooded her eyes again and Merlin knew this was not the time nor place to try and stop her from expressing her emotions. No one would disturb them here, Merlin knew Arthur would have made sure of that. She was safe to show the fear that had been haunting her since the raiders had come to their village. Merlin stepped forward to take his mother in his arms, but she caught his wrists and looked at him sternly.

“Tell me what happened,” she commanded. “Everything.”

Merlin obliged. There was nothing else he could do when she spoke to him like that. He might disobey anything his king asked, but his mother was a different matter entirely. He led the way across the room to where there was a small table, a few chairs, some goblets and a pitcher of water. Pouring some out for the both of them, Merlin sat down and started talking. He did tell his mother everything. But he left out precisely what Uther had wanted from him and the scene Arthur had interrupted that had led to his flogging. He just let his mother believe that Uther wanted him obedient. The look of horror on her face meant he knew he had made the right decision. There were some things that a mother didn’t need to know.

But once he had brushed away her tears, he told her about how he had freed himself. Then he had freed Freya. He even had had the power to free Nimueh. But his voice trailed off as he thought about events and his power, his mind replayed what Arthur had told him the dragon had said. Taking a deep breath, he looked his mother in the eye.

“Someone here told me that magic was in my blood. That it came… it came from my father.”

He didn’t know what he had expected. They had never really talked about it. Merlin had never known a father so by the time he realised someone was missing in his life, his anger towards the absent man had grown to such an extent he didn’t ask out of stubbornness. His mother had never volunteered any information either. He looked intently at the table-top, not wanting to meet her eye. But then a hand caught his chin and his mother forced him to look at her.

“What do you want to know?” Her voice was steady and calm and it was all Merlin could do not to gape at her.

“You don’t mind?”

“I should have told you years ago. Maybe it would have kept you safe. Maybe he would have helped…”

“Who is my father?”

“A dragonlord.”

Merlin stared. Then he blinked and stared again. Finally, he shook his head in bewilderment. “A d-dragonlord?”

“The last of his kind. Uther pursued him from the kingdom and he ended up in Ealdor. He had to flee again, the king would not rest until he found him. But it was long enough for us to fall in love.”

“Why didn’t he come back for us?”

“Ealdor was hardly safe, Merlin.” Merlin heard the slight reproach in her voice and he caught himself. He _knew_ Ealdor wasn’t safe; that was where he had been taken from. His father clearly had his reasons for wanting to stay away and Merlin wondered if it was to do with protecting his mother.

“Is he still alive?” he settled for saying. His heart was thumping hard but he knew he was keeping his expression neutral. He had become adept over the last year at hiding how he was really feeling.

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“I have a father,” Merlin mused. His mother smiled, reaching across the table in order to take his hand.

“Are you angry with me for not telling you before?”

“No. I never asked. And I’ve found where I belong now.” He knew it was true even as he said it. He would have given anything to take back the last year and stop that collar being put around his neck. But he wouldn’t have found Arthur. He wouldn’t have found his destiny. And if Merlin had never come to Camelot, slaves would still be collared, magic still outlawed and the majority of the population – including Arthur – living under the fear of a tyrant king. Things had a way of working themselves out. Merlin felt his shoulders straighten and his chin lift. This was his home now. This was where he belonged.

“You’ve grown so much.” Hunith’s voice was soft and tender and she lifted a hand in order to cup Merlin’s cheek. He tilted his face into it, smiling.

“Will you stay here?”

“For long enough to ensure this king of yours is good enough for my son.”

Merlin snorted. Arthur might have been king of Camelot, but he still had to meet with his mother’s approval.

“But my home isn’t here, Merlin. After I am satisfied, I will return home. I won’t ask you to come with me, I can see in your eyes what your answer will be. But I do ask you visit, or even write. I have to know you are safe.”

After everything he had been through, the least Merlin could do was agree to that. He was just grateful when Arthur came back for him late in the afternoon that the king said nothing about his red eyes or hoarse voice after spending the time telling his mother everything he had felt since being captured.

But as his mother was shown to a guest room and Merlin lent back into Arthur’s hold, he knew he had made the right decision. This was where he belonged.

MMM

“A garland competition? Seriously? I have to find safety for over fifty people who have had their lives destroyed and they want me to judge one of them?” Arthur couldn’t stop the indignant note from infiltrating his voice. The sound of Merlin giggling from the bed did nothing to help his mood. He looked towards his lover and all annoyance melted away. Merlin was sprawled naked, playing with magic when he wasn’t giggling at his king. He looked so relax and at peace, Arthur forgot what he was supposed to be irritated about.

“It’s important to the people,” Merlin said. Arthur wondered how hard he was trying to keep his voice sincere.

“It’s flowers. How about Leon does that while I continue negotiating with the druids in order to ensure safe passage through the forest?”

“Because the druids won’t talk to you unless I’m there and I’m not moving today.”

“ _Mer_ lin…”

“You said it yourself, I had to have a day off.”

Arthur sighed as he stared at the man. Something told him he was being played. Merlin had been so involved with helping to free the sorcerers that he had been exhausting himself. He had flatly refused Arthur’s request to get some rest though and Arthur couldn’t ask twice, knowing Merlin was still the only one to free others from collars. The longer Merlin rested, the longer people stayed trapped. But after he had almost collapsed, it had been one of the slaves who had come forward. She had been a kind old lady, resting a motherly hand on Merlin’s head and insisting a few more days won’t hurt them but if Merlin killed himself by accident, they would still be trapped.

That had been all the incentive Arthur needed to half-carry, half-drag the protesting warlock back to their chambers and put him to bed. Of course, Merlin had made sure he had had the last word by dragging Arthur into the bed with him, but the king couldn’t deny that he looked better this morning. The sparkle was back in his eye and the random bursts of colour floating around his head spoke more than Merlin could ever say.

“So basically it’s going to be your fault that I have to judge this damn competition?”

“Always blaming others, Arthur Pendragon.” Merlin’s voice was teasing and Arthur sat back in his chair. One eyebrow rose when Merlin got off the bed and sauntered over. Arthur very deliberate ran his eyes over the man and even as Merlin smirked, a dusting of colouring coated his cheeks.

“Like what you see?” His voice was nothing more than a purr and Arthur had to shift. Still, he reached out and pulled Merlin onto his lap. He kissed him, but then wrapped his arms around him and just held him. Merlin moved his legs until they were draping over the arm of the chair before resting his head contently on Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur’s fingers danced patterns up and down Merlin’s naked skin and both just listened to the other breathe for a long moment.

“To think that a year ago, you being this close would have meant that you were trying to kill me.”

To Arthur’s delight, Merlin didn’t even stiffen at his words. He knew the warlock was finding it easier to talk about the early days now there was no collar around his neck. Arthur just wanted to make sure there were no emotions that Merlin was holding back that would cause them problems in the long run.

“Not my fault, you were a prat.”

“According to you, I still am.”

“Nah, you’re my prat now. I want to get my hands on you for different reasons now. Besides, I could have sworn you used to encourage me. At least, you never stopped me…” Merlin trailed off thoughtfully and Arthur grinned. He hide it by kissing his neck.

“I never thought you would have actually managed to kill me,” he said. “But you were the first with enough fighting spirit to try. I didn’t want to destroy that. It seemed easier to let you try than just immobilise you.”

Merlin didn’t answer and Arthur knew he was thinking over what had been said. He curled his hand around Merlin’s hip.

“Were you ever tempted?” Merlin asked quietly. His voice was nothing more than a whisper yet Arthur knew exactly what he was implying. “I know you wanted me, I could see it. You had the cuffs, it would have been so easy…”

“No.” Arthur’s voice was sharp and Merlin pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth to calm him. Arthur forced himself to relax. Merlin was only asking and those times were long gone now.

“I dreamt about it,” he said in a softer tone. “But you were always willing in my dreams. You’d be the one holding me down. Then I’d wake up and you would look at me in such contempt, I knew I couldn’t. By the time your hatred had faded, I’d started to like you properly.”

“Thank you.” Merlin’s words were a whisper pressed into his skin as he kissed Arthur’s neck. “You could have crushed me quicker than your father. If you took me that first night… I’m not sure I would have survived. But you trusted me…. You loved me instead.”

“Just look at you,” Arthur said lightly. “Bloody gorgeous, not like I had much choice.”

Merlin chuckled and Arthur could feel his whole body vibrating as he laughed. Merlin cupped his face, drawing him in for a kiss. But when he pulled back, there was a glint in his eye that Arthur had never seen before. He climbed off the king’s lap and gave Arthur a long look over his shoulder. It was intense enough that Arthur shifted.

“I held you down, did I?”

Involuntarily, Arthur swallowed. His eyes roamed the body in front of him hungrily. Merlin’s mouth             quirked and Arthur took in his quiet strength that only signalled the determination that blazed through his soul. Suddenly, he came to a conclusion, one he had never thought of before. This incredibly powerful being standing in front of him was _his._

“Merlin…” Arthur swallowed again when his voice came out as nothing more than a hoarse whisper. Merlin smirked.

“My magic was created to serve you. What better way of doing so than making your wish my command?”

Merlin held out his hand and Arthur found himself taking it before he even realised he had stood up. He stumbled towards the bed and Merlin pushed him down on it. A flare of the warlock’s eyes later and Arthur’s clothes vanished. Merlin climbed on the bed after him, straddling him. He linked his fingers through Arthur’s and pressed them into the pillows before kissing him. Arthur could do nothing other than return the gesture but it didn’t take long until he was shifting, trying to press up to get some sort of contact. Merlin grinned and sat back on his haunches.

Then Arthur realised that his hands were still pressed into the pillow. There was a warm pressure on his wrists – not at all unpleasant – and he knew Merlin was using magic to hold him down. Arthur was instantly harder for it, a reaction that surprised him. But then he realised Merlin was watching him intently as he started stroking himself and Arthur bucked up again. Only this time, his whole body was being held on the bed and there was nothing he could do other than try and swallow his whimper as Merlin teased him.

Arthur remained pinned even when Merlin sank onto him, being forced to lie there while the warlock did all the work to bring them towards the edge.

“Let me touch you…” Arthur gasped. He didn’t care that he was begging. He wasn’t a king right now, he was just a man completely at Merlin’s mercy. Merlin whispered a word and Arthur’s hands were free. He reached forward and one touch was all it took before Merlin fell over the edge. Watching his face contort with pleasure was enough for Arthur to fall him and he almost blacked out from the intensity of it.

“Arthur?” Realising there was a hand tapping his face, Arthur forced himself to focus. Merlin’s face swam in his vision and Arthur reached blindly up. Within seconds, he had reversed their positions and covered Merlin’s body with his own as he kissed him like a drowning man.

It took a while before they had both caught their breath and Merlin was lying contently in Arthur’s arms, stroking his stomach with his fingertips.

“Was it what you wanted?”

“I don’t know,” Arthur pretended to deliberate. “We might have to practice a few more times to just be sure.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “As if. It was so good you blacked out.”

“Did not.”

“Did.”

Arthur grinned and kissed the end of Merlin’s nose, not answering. Neither of them would stop if that was the case. But he couldn’t stop himself from entwining their legs together, making sure that Merlin had no way of leaving his side.

They lay wrapped up in each other for a while, breathing and just taking in the sounds of the kingdom surviving around them.

“They’re happy because of you,” Merlin suddenly murmured. “I heard the servants talking earlier. One was even singing. They are thrilled that you are now king.”

“There are still so many wrongs that need to be made right though,” Arthur said. Now that he had made it to being king, he knew that freeing the slaves was only the start on a very long pile of the amount of people his father had hurt.

“But you’re trying. The people know that. So many of them have already have their lives changed. I saw one girl returning to her family earlier once I removed the collar.”

“That’s you, not me.”

“Arthur, stop it.” Before Arthur could blink, Merlin was on top of him again. “You’re strong, Arthur. You’re a much better man than your father and you care about these people. You will make mistakes, even you aren’t perfect. But I’m going to be by your side, every step of the way and you will get through this.”

“You’re staying here then?” He thought he knew what the answer was. But he hadn’t dared to ask since becoming king in case Merlin had plans to leave once the slaves were free. He wouldn’t blame him; Merlin had had a life here before Camelot and it was wrong of Arthur to assume he wouldn’t want to return to it now he could. But Merlin arched an eyebrow.

“If you think for one second that I could leave you, then you’re even more of a prat than I thought you were.”

“We’re really going to have to work on how you address me,” Arthur teased. “You can hardly call your king that.”

“What should I call you then? Sire?” Merlin’s voice was a low, seductive whisper and Arthur shivered at the name. Merlin smirked and leant down, breathing it in his ear even as he rocked against him. This time, Arthur couldn’t stop the whine from escaping the back of his throat and he leant forward. Merlin wasn’t going to take the lead this time. He was.

He was going to lead his kingdom into a new golden age. Merlin was right – things would go wrong. But Arthur would never stop trying to do the best he could for his people and he knew that would give him the courage to face whatever might be waiting for him.

But that wasn’t the only thing Merlin was right about. As magic sparked through the air and Arthur made love to his warlock tenderly, he knew the man would always be by his side. And nothing was going to be able to stop them.

The kingdom was theirs.


End file.
